Despite What You Think
by sarahofearth
Summary: John and Jane adopt their former bait, a Mr. Benjamin Dantz. None of the company are particularly happy with the situation. What adventures will befall our new family? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Back from the dead with another fic in a totally foreign category. I love Mr. And Mrs. Smith though so I had to write _something_. Reviews are definitely appreciated with this story. Please and thank you!

**Disclaimer:** Why do we need to write this? The fact that I'm writing a fanfiction is clearly a disclaimer in itself. I don't own, happy? .:fanfiction Nazis…:.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

John and Jane Smith were on the run. Two highly accomplished agencies were on their tales and God only knew who else. There one true friend and not to mention, only outside source, was Eddie, whom they communicated with as little as possible.

To say that the couple was stressed would be an understatement. Having been running for two months now, they were -simply put- tired.

They were trained to brave the toughest missions, handle the most urgent situations but they'd never thought they'd seriously have to go head to head with their own organization.

It was engrained into every agent's head that if there was no one to trust, they could trust their agency-The people who _trained_ them and brought them to where they were now. These people knew almost as much about them as John and Jane knew about themselves.

That's what made running so scary.

John and Jane discussed settling down or even starting their own agency. They just really needed something inconspicuous enough to lessen the risk of discovery.

"Plastic surgery?"

"Hmm… No."

"Name Change?"

"Right and what's more inconspicuous than 'Smith?'

"I'm just spouting ideas, okay? I don't see you, Ms. 'I'm-Apart-of-a-Big-Fancy-Agency,' making an effort."

"I said I'd be all right with moving to Japan."

"That's because you already know the language and you won't have to spend three months attending 'Japanese 101.'"

Jane sighed. "Then I'm out of ideas because I had already had an intricately-detailed plan for our move there."

"Of course you did…" John mumbled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Jane snapped sharply.

"Well, I claim to remember you accusing me of not being a 'team player' but here you are, making these elaborate plans to countries I don't know a thing about."

Did I forget to mention they were getting a tad bit touchy?

The phone rang and the couple stopped their bickering to look at the sleek black cell phone on the motel's side table. It was an undeniably rare occurrence for the Smith's to receive any phone calls, most of which were from, as aforementioned, their only 'outside spy:' Eddie.

John grabbed for it but Jane, with her cat-like reflexes, snatched it up and flipped it open, leaving John to glare at her through tiny slits.

"Jane Smith."

"Hey, Jane, is the hubby home?" the familiar voice of Eddie asked.

"I'm putting you on speakerphone," Jane dead-panned. It was annoying how Eddie seemed so resolute to speak with _John_ when she was perfectly available. And John did a terrible job relaying what they had talked about anyway.

After setting the phone to speakerphone, the couple could hear Eddie sigh audibly and mumble something about crazy women.

"I heard that." Jane said, placing the phone on the night stand between the two of them.

"Good." Eddie replied. "I'm just calling to let you guys know I figured out your problem."

"The on-the-run problem or the attempt-at-being-inconspicuous problem?" John inquired.

"Well, in actuality if you solved one you've got the other one, so, in which case, I figured out how to answer both your problems." Eddie said.

"Mind sharing?" Jane questioned, impatience slightly evident.

"Get a kid." Eddie announced triumphantly.

Now, if Jane and John were sipping wine, the white linens on the bed would be positively soaked with the stuff. So instead, the two opted for widening their eyes in shock, silently hoping the other didn't consider the idea a good one.

"Are you nuts?" Jane finally said to John's utter relief.

"You want us lugging a kid around with us? We'll put it in danger." John said, quickly agreeing with his wife's opinion.

"Guys, guys, hey. I've put a lot of thought into this. Think about it. What's the one thing your agencies would never suspect their two top agents would get? I said to myself, 'Simple. Kids.'"

"That's because we don't nor _ever will_ want any." John emphasized.

"Then you see my point." Eddie said curtly.

As hard as John and Jane wanted to disagree to the idea of having a child, they had to admit that it was good and one of their only chances to having a seemingly normal life. Plus, their organizations would never think they, their stone-solid, fierce agents, would become parents. The idea still seemed ridiculous to them!

"God, it hurts me so much to say this, but… Eddie's right." Jane finally said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, and what's that supposed to mean?" Eddie said clearly annoyed.

"It means that we should… get a kid." John concurred after fighting an intense inward battle of pros and cons.

There was a silence as everybody, including Eddie, had a slight case of shock over their agreement to the plan.

"Okay, well, did you two have any plans as to what you wanted or how you were going to get it?" Eddie finally questioned, knocking the couple out of their reverie.

"Well, John, did you have anything in mind?" Jane asked, looking expectantly at her husband. This had to be one of the most uncomfortable conversations she'd ever had.

"I don't want a baby, if that's what you mean." John said quickly.

"And I don't want a petulant brat child," Jane shared.

"If you guys don't figure out what you want soon, you'll end up wanting some eighty year-old and... Those aren't up for adoption." Eddie piped up over the phone.

"How about a teenager? I mean, we won't have to keep it for very long and it'll be easier to make it follow orders." Jane reasoned.

"They ask a lot of questions though. And, think about it, what kind of teenager would be willing to have us, 'psycho-strict' agents, as parents?" John said.

"How 'bout some one that already knows you're agents?" Eddie asked which caused the two to pause their conversing to stare at the phone. There was a crazy man on the other line. They knew it. "I don't know if you remember Benjamin Danz but he appears free for the taking."

"What? The bait-boy we were after? The kid who got us into this big mess in the first place?" John queried incredulously.

"That's the one." Eddie established. "I mean, c'mon guys, he knows you're agents. He knows about the whole 'being attacked by the separate agencies' thing-That's probably one of the biggest breaks you'll get. Ever."

John sighed, causing Jane to look up at him quickly.

"Are you actually considering this kid?" She asked quickly. "You saw him. He was the biggest smart-alec on the planet. I'm sorry, but I am not going to put up with any more of that."

"'Any more of that' -What is that supposed to mean?" John asked, looking critically at his wife.

"It means that you are quite enough smart-alec for _three_ teenagers." Jane said testily.

"Well, you're enough _annoying_ for five mother-in-laws." John said.

"Guys, guys, guys, I really don't have the time for this. So could you figure if you want me to set up an appointment with him." Eddie said.

"Appointment? Where is he exactly?" Jane asked.

"Uh, it says here he's in a Juvenile Detention in Kent County, Michigan." Eddie reported. "He's staying there until the court processes his involvement in the shooting -which could take awhile."

"How're we supposed to take him out if he's in a detention facility?" Jane asked.

"Hey, if you're rich enough, you can have any kid you want." Eddie said, smiling.

It was true that after the whole 'combining of forces' act, John and Jane were now insanely rich. It was just hard to spend the cash with people watching their every move though.

John sighed and scratched at his eyebrow with his thumb.

"Let's do it then."

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

"Why's he here anyway? Doesn't he have his own parents that want to take him in?" John whispered to his wife as they followed a slightly pudgy woman down the hall of the juvenile detention.

"My, my, that isn't very parental of you. But regardless, his parents don't think he's their problem anymore." Jane replied quietly.

"What? Why not?" John asked, looking bewilderedly at his spouse.

"Well, for one, he's 21…" Jane answered.

John halted in his tracks but the women walking down the hall didn't seem to notice (or, in Jane's case, care). John hurried to catch up to them

"What do you mean he's 21?" he whispered hastily, turning to her with incredulity etched into his features. "How are we supposed to get him if he's 21 anyway?"

"You and I both know there isn't going to be a problem there," Jane said with her trademark smirk. It was true. Anything was possible with resources like theirs.

They finally stopped at a door and the lady turned to face the couple.

"This is the interview room. You can just talk to him, ask him about life, and hopefully," her eyes began shining at this point. "Get some details that will make _his_ life with _you_ more comfortable. But, I must warn you; this poor dear's been through some stuff, so try not to be bothered with his cheek. Because he's certainly not lacking in that department." The woman gave a small chortle before unlocking the door and opening it.

"Play nice," John muttered to Jane who simply rolled her eyes before walking into the dimly-lit, sparsely-furnished room.

"Ben, honey, I'm going to leave you alone with this nice couple here." The lady said to the young man who was currently resting his tousled black head of hair on the dark wooden table.

"Uh-huh, Doris, I know the drill." Ben said, thinking bitterly to himself about the past four couples who had come in, interviewed him, and promptly left after only three clipped questions. Although he would have gladly gone with them to get out of this appropriately coined "cheer asylum," he found that _they_ didn't really like _him_. Ben liked to call his "problem" wit but the previous couples had unanimously described it as "presumptuous sarcasm." The young man doubted this new duo would think differently.

Doris nodded happily at the others, whispering an encouraging "I'll leave you three alone." before exiting the room. At the sound of the click, Ben grudgingly lifted his head to survey the new "parent-hopefuls."

The young man's eyes widened in shock and his mouth gaped open. "J-John… J-Jane?!" He was trying to form something resembling coherent but his tongue was in knots as his brain was traveling at 100 mph. The only thought that seemed to stick as he stared from stoic face to stoic face was "Run!" –Which was just what Ben did or _tried_ to do anyway. He made it out of his chair and mere feet from the door until he was halted by John's hand on his chest.

"Whoa, whoa, we just want to talk, buddy." John stated casually, wrapping an arm around Ben's shoulder and leading him back to the chair. Ben stared anxiously at him the whole time.

"Right, 'talk,'" Ben said knowingly once he was sat back down in his original seat. "Contrary to what you believe, I did attend a few of those agent classes. I know the terminology, and, 'to talk' usually results in some one's death, in this case mine."

"We're not going to kill you," Jane said directly so the boy wouldn't carry on with the topic for what was sure to be hours. At this announcement, Ben shut his mouth and looked quizzically at the couple.

"Well, it's obvious the two of you aren't considering being my new 'parents,' so what do you want?" Ben asked.

Jane and John exchanged glances before fixing their eyes on the young man once again. John cleared his throat.

"We, uh, need your help with something." He said.

"Let me just stop you right there and point out that I have no connections with any of your former agencies. The moment your people got their hands on me, they threw me in _this_ place and stripped me of everything. -Apparently I had failed in my part of the mission. So… I guess you came all this way for nothing." Ben said, leaning back into his chair and shrugging.

"That's not exactly the kind of help-"

"We _do_ want you as our son." Jane interrupted, finally getting tired of her husband's beating around the bush. John looked at her with his "calmly critical" expression but Jane didn't seem to notice. The words that left her mouth were difficult to get out, and the aftermath of vomiting them up had left her biting her tongue.

Jane wasn't the only one surprised by the statement though. Ben held a form of shock upon his face as well but that quickly turned into one of amusement.

"Right," he said sarcastically, laughing a little. "The big, bad agents want a me to be their son. They finally reached that point in their lives where they decide the nearest convicted smart-alec would make the perfect child. That's hilarious. Really, guys, what's your deal?"

John and Jane vided for remaining silent and staring sternly at the expectant young man's face.

Ben's smile faltered after a moment and his eyebrows knitted together as reality hit him.

"Wait, y-you're serious?" Ben asked. John nodded in affirmation. "Um, _no_… No, I'm not going to be your guys' _son_. For one, you two are the ones who put me here in the first place. And two, you're on the run. You're going to get caught someday and I don't want to be around for that."

John sighed walked over to lay his hands on the table in front of Ben, hunching over to stare at the young man face to face.

"Look, Benjamin, those aren't good reasons." John said. "We got you in here, so we want to get you out. But, because we're on the run, we need a son to give us a better wrap. Do you see now?"

Ben seemed to think about this.

"Oh yeah, one problem: I don't want _you_ as my _parents_."

"Why not?" John scoffed, clearly confused. He assumed kids would love the chance to hang around with agents 24-7.

"Oh, I don't know," Ben began sardonically. "Maybe because I don't want to hang out with agents 24-7." John's assumptions were failing him. Maybe it was for the best that Ben denied them parenthood, for he was now _truly_ sure he'd make a terrible father.

Jane noticed her husband giving up on the ordeal and decided it was time to butt in.

"Benjamin, as part of our cover, we'll be acting as normal as physically possible. You won't be able to discern us from the next regular Joes that come knocking to be your parents." The young man seemed to be considering it now so Jane went on. "We picked you because you already know about us and what we do. Plus, you were a junior agent. So, instead of thinking of this as a demand, think of it as a mission. It'll all be over in two or three years anyway, you know."

John stared at his wife in amazement. Jane never bothered to pull out her powers of persuasion on anything. It was mostly just "do it or die" with her. This new side was forcing him to see the true mother in her.

"Okay." Ben grinded out after several minutes of thinking. He immediately regretted the word though. He was sure that getting into John and Jane Smith's life would possibly be the death of him. But, who knows? Maybe this decision wouldn't be the worst in the history of decisions… Ben had to smile at his futile optimism.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

**A/N:** There it is. Because I am unsure about this story, I won't update unless I get review(s). They make me happy and really firm up my decisions. So, please review! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Against my better judgement, I've decided to update. This actually turned out longer than I wanted it but .:shrugs:. I don't mind. Reviews are definitely appreciated.

**Disclaimer: **Man, I hate it when people put it into their disclaimers that they own their OC. It makes me a million times more uninterested in their story. But, alas, there are three OCs in this chappie. They have really small roles though. Don't mind them! Everything else I don't own.

XxxxXXXxxxX

"Gah, Benjamin!" John yelled from the downstairs of their new home, rubbing furiously at his socked foot. The new "family," if that's what you wanted to call it, had recently purchased the high-end, Columbian style home a few weeks earlier after sorting out the messy adoption business. The house was nicely furnished-thanks be to John's insistence they hire an interior designer ("I'm sorry, but you should have seen these curtains she bought one time.") and everything else was coming together nicely. Well, _almost_ everything, a certain young man had the knack of procrastinating and letting his untidiness be known to everyone. "Unpack your stuff now! Don't make me tell you again!"

John examined the box his foot had roughly collided with in his attempt to climb upstairs to bed with Jane. It read in the familiar messy scrawl "GAME STATIONS." _You mean there's more than one in here? _The man sighed, knowing full well Benjamin would probably never get the cumbersome container up to his room before daybreak. He hoisted the box under one arm with a grunt while picking up his glass of water with his free hand before climbing the stairs to his charge's room.

Ben was standing atop his bed, taping a poster of his favorite indie rock band on the light green roof overhead. John surveyed the rest of the work done to his room. So far there were five posters plastered onto the walls of what used to be a quaint, little bedroom. The young man _had_ gotten around to cluttering his mahogany wooden desk with an array of tools and electronics including a radio that was currently flooding the room with the loud crooning of a supposedly ill singer.

John set down his glass of water on a dresser and turned the radio down, instantly setting the room into welcoming silence-At least to John's ears. Ben turned from his taping only to have the immense poster fall from the roof to the floor in two quick flaps.

"Not again," Ben groaned tiredly, flopping down onto his black and grey floral comforter (don't ask him; he certainly didn't pick it.). "I've already tried to get that poster up their five times. It stuck just fine at the detention's roof."

"That's probably because it was covered in the gum and soda of bored teenagers." John said, finally setting the weighty package on Ben's bed. "Had a nice little run in with this one." John said with a small smile, patting the box.

Ben offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry, didn't notice it was late. I started looking at these pictures and I guess I kind of got lost in them…"

John looked at where Ben's downcast eyes fell and plucked the square shaped, navy photo album from the floor. Ben made an attempt to grab for it but John just sat on the bed, not noticing. He opened the album, disregarding the barrage of protests and grabbing being given so freely by the black-haired boy behind him.

"This your mom?" John asked, turning to the younger man who, after several futile efforts, had finally resigned to sit beside the older man in his examination.

"Yeah, she didn't like me much. I get that a lot from people though -Sorta antisocial. Although, that's one of the reasons I joined the agency in the first place: You don't have to build relationships. You just do the work and get the praise." Ben said casually, toying with the corner of one of his record cases.

"She's pretty," John commented, staring down at the picture of the curly red head with big dark eyes who had a wide grin as she laughed at the camera. "She looks like you."

"Calling me pretty?" Ben asked, turning to look mock-offended at the accuser. In actuality, he was slightly flattered by the remark. While his mom may not have understood or liked him very much, he positively adored her. Ever since he was little he thought she was the most gorgeous woman on the planet, and, in a sense, he still did.

"What if I am…?" John dared, looking up from the album with a sly smile. "Prettyboy?"

Ben smiled before tackling the other man flat on his back onto the bed. The photo album fell to the floor but Ben decided to reach for a pillow to smother the other man with instead. He had just grasped a cushion in his hand before he found himself being pushed off the man beneath him and on _his_ back. Ben yelled in protest as John began tickling him mercilessly. Curse last week when he had thrown the cat clear across the room off of him due to its tickling fur! He knew-he knew John would never let him live that down!

"John-please-please-stop!" Ben gasped through his laughing. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as John continued to wiggle his fingers over every ticklish spot on his body.

Over the past few weeks, John had begun to learn just how much fun Benjamin was to tease and torment. He could always count on getting a sarcastic retort or a loud and flailing reaction. Either were too good to pass up to him.

Ben, sensing the man was enjoying his utter humiliation and misery _way_ too much, made an endeavor to leap off the bed and run out of the room. When the tiny moment came that John began to laugh harder at Ben's boisterous and noisy reaction, the young man mustered up the small amount of strength he had to escape from the bed. He made it halfway off before toppling to the floor and smartly bumping his head on the leg of his desk chair.

"Ah!" Ben gasped, clutching his injured forehead, his face contorted into one of pain.

"_What is going on here?" _Jane said sharply through clenched teeth, entering Ben's room with a distraught look on her face. Ben and John looked up surprised and Jane's expression turned into one of concern at the sight of Ben grasping his wounded head. She turned her newly accusatory look towards John. "What did I tell you about being too rough with him?"

Everyone in the room, especially Ben, knew that the true victim of being "too rough with him" was Jane but, nobody was about to point that out to the radiantly angry woman standing in the doorway of the small room, hand on hips with an crossly expectant look on her face.

"Whoa, he did that to himself." John said, looking innocent. Sure, he had some involvement in it… "You okay, buddy?" John asked more to relieve his conscious then to give moral support to the young man rubbing tenderly at what was to be a rather large bump.

"Yeah, I think so. Not as bad as last time." Ben said, recounting two weeks ago when Jane had "accidentally" banged his head against the car door. He was out cold for four hours after that. Jane apologized but mumbled something about "enjoying the quiet."

"I'll go get some ice, but once I come back, you're going to bed. I mean, pygmies, it's one am." Jane sighed as an afterthought. She exited the room and Ben and John stared at each other before snorting quietly.

"You're really starting to cramp my style," John said, getting up from the bed to help Ben up.

"Meh, being the stone-cold serious type doesn't get as many ladies as it used to anyway," Ben said with a shrug, picking the game stations box off the foot of his bed and putting it down with a heavy thump. "It's all about the funny, charming guys. So don't get too shocked by all the chicks I bring home, okay?"

"All right, I'll try not to have a heart attack over the neighbor girls you'll be babysitting, don't worry." John said with ruffle to Ben's already disheveled hair. Ben just scowled in response and was about to pick another fight with the man but thought better of it when he saw Jane making her way back up the stairs with a dishrag with a few cubes of ice in it. Upon returning to the room, she placed the pack to Ben's growing bump, ignoring the hands that tried to do it themselves.

"This should make it look okay by morning." Jane muttered. Ah _morning_, the time when Ben would start his first day at the local high school. He was dreading every hour leading to its coming. As if school hadn't been hard enough, now he would have to start the whole grueling process all over again. John was forcing him to participate in at least _one_ sport, pft, like that was going to happen. The boy was the most uncoordinated person he knew. This second school experience was sure to be loads worse with the addition of a sports embarrassment, Ben was sure of it.

The young man yawned tiredly and Jane let up, instructing Ben to hold the makeshift pack while he slept. Ben reluctantly did as he was told and lied down in his new bed with the rag pressed against his forehead.

John turned out the light on Ben's nightstand and studied the boy in the faint hallway light before exiting the room. He was happy that his style was being cramped by him.

XxxxXXXxxxX

"Ben, get up." Jane said at 6am as she distractedly passed the slumbering young man's room.

Thirty minutes later, John passed the room as he went to get some coffee and repeated the demand before heading down the stairs.

Both were not used to the slight change in their morning routine and both were ignorant of just how little effect their words had on the snoozing boy. John was casually reading the paper in his usual business attire and Jane was preparing breakfast in her silky night robe.

"I'm off to work," John finally said after finishing his eggs and orange juice. He gave his wife a kiss and grabbed his briefcase off to his new job at an _actual_ engineering company (go figure).

"Oh," Jane said, looking up from her cooking. "Don't forget to take Ben to school."

"Oh yeah," John said, feeling slightly guilty he had forgotten about the young man. "Ben, you ready?!" he yelled from the downstairs. No reply met his ears though.

"I woke him up." The couple said in exasperated unison. The two glanced at each other in confusion and John made his way upstairs. The time was now 7:45 and Ben's school started at 8. With each step up the stairs, John's impatience grew so to find the boy dead to the world lying in bed would appear to be John's breaking point as he clenched his jaw and roughly picked Ben up by his arm and onto the floor. Ben toppled to the floor with a groan and a pained:

"Ooow… Wha' didja to that for?" Ben slurred groggily. John ignored it and grabbed the boy up again by his tricep. "Ah, arm, arm!"

"You were supposed to wake up an hour ago. Didn't you hear Jane and me?" John asked, forcing Ben to look at his stern and irritated expression.

"Uh, no. I'm sorry I don't have bionic ears, I'll have to get a pair if _this_ is what you're going to resort to every morning." Ben said sarcastically, struggling to pull his arm away from John's death hold. John's grasp held firm and he clenched his jaw in frustration again. _Don't hurt him, don't hurt him._

"Hurry and get dressed, Benjamin; you've already made both of us late." John said, relinquishing his grip on the scrawny arm. Ben rubbed it tenderly and scowled after the man who exited the room. "Now!" Ben got to work.

Ten minutes later, the young man was dressed in his regular attire of a simple T-Shirt, jeans, and converse. He had brushed his teeth but John was sure he had barely glanced at his hair for the tousled mess on his head looked as messy as ever.

"It's the 'look.'" Ben pointed out after meeting John's gaze as he entered the sleek, black car.

"Whatever." John said with a sigh as he peeled out of the driveway of their residence.

Upon arrival at the drop off of the school, Ben was feeling quite queasy. The drive there had seemed like a race to the death. John had defied more laws than one in his effort to get to the school on time and that left Ben screaming bloody murder frequently.

"Get out of my car, Benjamin; you've broken my ear drums." John said, handing Ben his backpack from the back seat.

"People do that when they're about to die, John!" Ben said, opening the door. He was about to exit when John grabbed him by his shirt. "Geh!" Ben gasped as he was pulled back.

"Hey, here it's 'dad,' all right?" John said, referring to his name.

"Fine, but then it's 'Ben' from now on." Ben said while rubbing his sore neck.

"Here's your lunch money, _Benjamin_," John said, handing Ben a ten dollar bill. Ben frowned as he took the money. "This isn't a negotiation; it's an order. Get out of my car."

Ben did as he was told and climbed out the car with his backpack and money grasped in one hand. He resisted from flipping the car off as it drove away not only because it was royally immature but also because John would probably catch the gesture with his "hawk eyes."

The bell rang behind Ben and he turned his head to see the students milling in. Wow, John had gotten him here on time. Well, it can only be expected when you drive _that_ crazy.

The young man slung his back pack on his shoulder, steadying himself from the nausea that he was still feeling from his latest car ride before heading for the entrance of the school, praying to God that this school year would go differently from the rest.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben stepped out of his last class for the day with a heavy sigh of relief. He read a clock that was mounted on a brown brick wall to see that it was only 11am-God, it rocked to be a senior.

He had managed to make it out of the school day with only two embarrassing situations. The first time happened in his first period, during which he was introduced to the entire class of forty students by his overly-cheery psychology teacher. Although the situation was embarrassing, Ben played it to his advantage and smooth-talked his way out of it, leaving the class in fits of laughter.

The second time he wasn't quite as fortunate. A girl had approached him after the class with a gaggle of other girls talking in hushed tones a few feet behind her, obviously watching the show from afar. She bit her lip and swept her curly blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"Hi," she said nervously. "I'm Terren. I thought it was really cool what you did in there and I was wondering if you wanted to-"

All of a sudden she was interrupted by Ben emitting a loud cry.

"Ah!" he shouted, clasping his front jean pocket. His thigh suddenly felt like it was on fire! There was something hard in his pocket but Ben was more preoccupied with the girl trying to talk then removing it.

"Fine! If you didn't want to go out with me you should've just said. Pretending to be hurt just because you can't say no is totally childish." She huffed angrily and stomped angrily back to her clique, muttering something about the funny guys always being the most immature.

Ben wanted to yell "Wait!" but the pain in his thigh was radiating an intense amount of heat. He finally extricated the device from his pocket and held it in his shirt due to its burning temperature. It was the key that Jane had given him to the house! Why was it trying to scorch his skin?! Ben also noticed it was starting to blacken his shirt and threw it into the flooded water fountain where it sparked and fizzled to its death.

"Bad key!" Ben reprimanded, removing the object from the water and placing it in his backpack. He was definitely going to have a talk with a certain agent…

So, overall, his school day wasn't all bad. His little performance in psychology had gained him some popularity but his "juvenile stunt" with Terren had quickly taken a big piece of that away… Mostly with the girls. Ben sighed disdainfully at the contemplation. And here he thought since he was three or four year older than everyone here he would get the girls based on his "manly personality." But maybe he was finally acting like a teenager…

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben sat on the bench of the school grounds, waiting for some one to pick him up. He had assumed John or Jane knew about the senior rule but now he was thinking differently. _They didn't even bother to wake you up. Do you really think they'll bother to get in their cars and pick you up?_

Two guys about his "age" walked up from behind him and sat on both sides of him on the wooden bench.

"What're you reading?" the boy on his right asked. Ben glanced at him. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt with a black logo of one of Ben's favorite bands on them. He had shaggy black hair with pink clumps in it and big hazel eyes.

"Uh, nothing… Just some extra reading materials on Napoleon." Ben said, feeling slightly embarrassed when he actually said it.

"Pft, nerd." The boy on his said. Ben looked at the smiling young man to find that he was actually quite handsome. He had a straight white smile, windswept short brown hair, and shining green eyes. He was wearing relatively the same thing Ben was- comfortable and casual apparel with a hint of personality.

"So the fact that you're sitting next to is because…?" Ben asked pointedly.

"Meh, beats me." The guy on his right said offhandedly, shrugging. "Dominic's the one who wanted to talk to you but here he goes calling you a nerd. What's up with that, Dommy?"

"I said I'd beat you the next time you called me that, remember?" the guy known as Dominic said with narrowed eyes. The young man on Ben's right yelped with mock fear and bolted off the bench and down the street. Dominic laughed. "Yeah, that's Harry. He's hyperactive and a big mouth. What do they call you?"

"Oh, Ben… Smith." Ben still wasn't used to saying it.

Dominic made it a point to look disbelieving at the announcement of his last name but Ben acted as if he didn't notice.

"Just move here?" he asked, lounging back into the bench, digging his sneakers into the grass beneath them.

"Yeah, from Red Wing, Minnesota." Ben said, struggling to remember the whole history Jane had told him to memorize.

"That's cool. My cousins live up there. How do you like the school?" Dominic asked.

"It's cool. It's a lot nicer up here than my last one." Ben said truthfully. His last school was in the ghetto of California. Not a pretty place.

"See any girls you might be interested in?"

"If I am, I'm sure I've already blown it with them…" Ben admitted with an air of sadness.

"What? What do you- Wait a second, you're Ben? The guy who started acting like he had a seizure to get away from Terren?!"

"What?" Ben said incredulously, looking at him. "I didn't act like I had a seizure! I just got a… really bad cramp."

"A cramp?" Dominic laughed at the notion. "Heck, I don't care if I was stabbed right then and there. Terren's _hot_. I would've held it in."

"Easy for you to say…" Ben mumbled as Harry finally came back to reclaim his seat beside Ben.

"Hey, Harry, this is Ben. You know the guy Terren was ragging on in trig." Harry's mouth dropped and he stared at Ben.

"Why would you _do_ that? Terren's hot!" Harry said, pushing Ben lightly. "I mean, you're okay looking but you really shouldn't be so egotistical as to turn down a date with _the_ Terren Samuels."

"I didn't do it because I thought I was better I did it because-"

"He got a bad leg pain," Dominic laughed. This had Harry rolling and Ben found himself blushing heatedly from the ridiculing of the two strangers. A familiar looking pearl blue car pulled up and the window rolled down to reveal Jane talking on her cell phone. She motioned Ben to get in while continuing to talk on the phone.

"Is that your mom?!" Harry said, getting up from the floor and staring glassy-eyes at the gorgeous woman in the driver's seat.

"Now _she_ is hot." Dominic agreed.

"Thaaanks…" Ben said uncomfortably as he placed his book in his bag. "It was nice talking to you."

"Anytime, dude. We'll see you tomorrow. Maybe Dominic here could show you a thing or two about girls. The ladies are all over him." Harry said, laying a hand on his taller friend's shoulder. Dominic rolled his eyes.

"Or we can just catch up on our reading," Dominic said, taking from his pocket the same paperback that Ben was reading. Ben laughed.

"Nerd." He said with a teasing grin. "Sure, I'll catch you to tomorrow."

Harry and Dominic waved to Ben more to keep gazing at the beautiful woman beside him then to exchange pleasantries.

"He was definitely adopted." Harry said bluntly as the duo walked home.

XxxxXXXxxxX

**A/N:** One review, please. It's all I'm asking. .


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A BIG thanks to my only reviewers Jade St. Jms and chozinha. This story would quite literally be gone without you. Here's chapter three.

Disclaimer: I disclaim.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Jane snapped her phone closed and a silence filled the car. They arrived at the stoplight, and the only thing to be heard was the monotonous hum of the vehicles's engine. Jane cleared her throat noticeably.

"So… How was school?" She inquired. This is what mother's did, right? They pried.

"Oh, it went just fine," Ben stated good-naturedly. "I set a new record."

"Really? Did you sign up for a new sport like John told you to?"

"No, I set a different kind of record. You see, in just one day, I've become the least likely person to get a date in the history of my school." Ben said bitterly. He adjusted a glare on the woman beside him. "And do you know why?"

Jane was _sure_ she didn't care but, to humor him, she acted interested.

"Why?" Jane sighed, pressing down on the accelerator.

Ben unzipped the front pocket of his backpack that sat in front of his feet, pulling out a severely blackened piece of metal.

"_This_ is why." Ben declared vehemently. Jane tried to focus on the small object the young man held between his fingers near her face. It looked oddly familiar… "Your stupid tacking device malfunctioned and threw me into spiraling pain, sending the attractive, potential girlfriend running away!"

Jane recognized the piece of technology now and, seeing one of her precious pieces so obviously damaged, looked sharply at the young man.

"What did you do to it?" She asked incredulously, taking a second glance at the fried scrap metal.

"What did _I_ do to it? You mean what did _it_ do to _me_? I think I've got a second degree burn on my leg!" Ben said, motioning at his still-sore leg.

"That wasn't cheap, Benjamin. It's harder than you think to put that kind of technology into simple house key. When John or I give you something, you need to learn to take care of it." Jane reprimanded.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? The key attacked me. I was trying to defend myself by throwing it into the fountain."

Jane mumbled something about making the next one waterproof before turning into a rundown parking lot. Jane's nice car looked out of place in the cold, derelict setting of downtown New Jersey's docks. Fog hung lightly over the wooden flooring near the sea and Ben looked around at the big building they were parked behind.

"What is this place?" Ben asked, looking through the windshield at the washed-out building. There was no sign to tell anything of its name.

"John's engineering company. He bought this one because he says it reminds him of his fake one…" Jane said as she pulled her keys out of the ignition and gathered her things together. She glanced in disgust at the ghetto surrounding area. "Unfortunately."

She checked herself in the mirror absently before grabbing her bag and exiting the car.

"Why are we going inside?" Ben asked, following suite. Jane bristled at the amount of questions. It was difficult to answer things when you were an agent. The information you held was usually valuable and not meant to be thrown around-Especially to irresponsible, expense-ignorant kids. (Yes, she was still a bit angry about the tracking device.)

"John's shift ends in about two hours. Mine ends in five. I don't have time to take you home so you're going to stay here until John does." She forced herself to explain while walking towards the front of the building. The gravelly road beneath her was sure to be doing a number on her heels. God, she hated this place.

"What? What am I supposed to do the entire time?" Ben whined. He _really_ didn't feel like reading engineering magazines and sitting in uncomfortable chairs.

"Do your homework." Jane said simply. She continued walking but stopped when she noticed Ben had. The woman turned impatiently. "What now?"

"I forgot my backpack in the car." Ben said sheepishly.

Ben was happy that Jane was wearing sunglasses or else the glare she gave him on their way back to the car would have done some _serious_ harm.

"Before you whine about resources and such," Jane began on their way back. "Ask John and he'll get it. Computers, software, whatever."

Ben slung his backpack over his shoulder and followed her into the building.

The outside of the large, bland structure was in high contrast to its inside. Many employees walked about with large floor plans under their arms and phones were ringing off the hook. Jane and Ben braved the clutter and chatter on the first floor to the elevator in the back. It opened promptly, releasing a half-dozen architects and clerics from its silver doors. The two entered the small space and Jane pressed the button labeled "4" casually. After several minutes of releasing and admitting passengers, Ben and Jane finally arrived at the top.

As they exited the elevator, Jane's Blackberry beeped. She pulled it out and studied the message.

"Kumquats, I'm going to be late." Jane cursed. She turned to Ben. "Look, John's office is the fifth one on the left. You can't miss it. Past the receptionists' desk. Tell John I'll see him later tonight. Be good." She called as an afterthought, boarding the elevator once again. The doors shut with a light pound and Ben began his trek past numerous cubicles before arriving at a wide hall of wooden doors with windows. He counted as he passed each one, reading the various names etched into the plastic red plaques, halting as he came to a receptionists' desk. He could visibly see John's office a few feet away but this woman made it obvious that she was to be dealt with first.

"Can I help you?" She said, eyes filled with criticism and distrust at Ben's youthful appearance. She was a pretty woman, probably in her mid-thirties with a brunette hair styled into a bob.

"Uh, yeah, I need to see John." Ben said, glancing at the office again.

"And what business do you have with Mr. Smith, Mr…?" She trailed off, suspicious eyes looking expectantly for a name.

"Ben. Ben Smith." The young man replied. The woman's eyes immediately sparked into recognition.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry, Mr. Smith-"

"Please, _please_, just call me Ben." he interrupted with a pleading expression.

"Of course." she said with a smile, getting up to shake Ben's hand. "Mr. Smith said you'd be arriving with Mrs. Smith."

"Yeah, she was late for something." Ben said, taking his hand away to readjust his backpack over his shoulder.

"Your father is just down here." She got up from behind her desk, revealing an orange and brown tweed skirt fitted snugly over her nice figure, before leading him toward the door and opening it.

Ben was pleasantly surprised to see that the office was actually quite nice and cozily decorated. The ceilings were a little low but the carpet was a plush brown. The walls were painted a deep red with classy office furniture to compliment it. Two long bookshelves lined the right wall while a sitting area with a posh dark leather loveseat leaned against the other. A large mahogany desk sat near the far back wall, an expensive computer perched atop it along with other office supplies. John sat behind the desk in a luxurious rolling chair, talking on the phone with a fellow CEO. He glanced up at the two entrants and hurriedly ended his conversation with a charming farewell. He replaced the phone and greeted Ben and his receptionist.

"Cindy, I see you've met Ben," John nodded at the young man who looked up from his observing at the sound of his name.

"Yes, sir. I have to apologize though. I didn't realize he was coming alone and I mistook him for a menace." she laughed.

"Well, I hope he didn't give you too much trouble," the handsome man replied genially.

Ben scowled a little at the veiled jibe but Cindy merely laughed, quickly excusing herself back to her work.

Ben stood in the middle of the room, still taking in the room, while John turned his attention to his computer. The young man walked over to the bookshelf, touching the various hardbacks and reading their spines.

_Meh, mostly engineering junk. _Ben thought distastefully, holding no particular interest in the field. The young man had managed to uncover a few novels thrown into the otherwise boring selection. He removed these, planning to read these in his long waits in the office, until he was struggling to balance nearly ten classics. Ben thought the stack was still considerably stable and in no danger of toppling over. Foolishly, he had forgotten to place _himself_ into this stability factor and reaped the benefits of the mistake as his feet collided with a run in the long Persian rug. Books flew into the air as Ben fell to the floor. Said novels caught up to him in no time though, dropping heavily upon the poor boy's head.

Ben simply groaned in pain.

John snapped out of his work on the computer as soon as he heard the loud thuds. He looked over at the sad sight and sighed resignedly, reluctantly getting out of his chair to help the injured young man.

"What did you do this time?" John asked as he dug through the pile of novels to recover Ben's head.

Ben replied into the muffled rug. John rolled his eyes and helped Ben to sit upright against the bookshelf. The young man touched the back of his tenderly as John looked on with a twinge of concern.

"You need to learn to be more coordinated, Benjamin." John instructed, picking up the fallen books and placing them by Ben's side. "Did you sign up for a sport at school like I told you to?"

Ben sighed, lightly holding the back of his aching head.

"No," Ben said. "Sports don't even give you coordination, just injuries. Don't you think I get enough of those living with you two? Do you really want to torture me even more than you already do?"

John simply ignored Ben's quips as he made his way to the computer, opening up the schools main page.

"Let's see here. Lacrosse has openings," he muttered. Ben began to protest from his spot against the shelf, begging for something less contact-y.

"Chess is considered a major sport in many countries." Ben tried desperately.

"If you didn't want to do this one, you should've signed up for the one you _did_ want at school. Your first practice starts tomorrow. Tell Jane and I'll pick you up." John said.

Ben returned the demand with a glare and huffed back against the shelf, hissing at the pain that caused as well as cursing the agent's resolution. There was a _reason_ he was put at a desk job in the agency and it wasn't because he wanted to work there. Simply put, he lacked the bulk to roll with the big dudes and the skills to roll with the smaller ones. Ben was much too clumsy for any of that. So, what he lacked in ability, he more than made up for in sarcasm. It was his defense mechanism. It was the tool used to stay _in_ the agency rather than being kicked back to his job at the Blockbuster. (1) But… It didn't look like any amount of wit would break these two agents though, and that scared Ben in more ways than he'd like to admit.

Giving one last rub to his sore head, Ben reached for one of the books to his side-

"Shouldn't you be doing homework?" Ben cringed at John's voice. How come John only noticed him when Ben didn't want him to? That perceptive eye could've been useful when he had tripped over the rug!

"This is homework," Ben said. "My biology teacher taught us about the growth of plants. I'm just doing some research."

The young man showed him the cover, reading in golden letters _The Catcher in the Rye_.

"Rye is a plant." Ben said with a lift of his eyebrows.

"Nice try." John said with a smirk. "Get started."

"I don't have that much," Ben persisted.

"Then do it now."

Ben scowled and grumbled as he zipped open his backpack, pulled out his folder and a pencil, and began his report on Napoleon.

After opening and closing his help book ten times, scribbling nearly 2,000 words, and asking John for help twice, Ben was happy with his newly completed essay. Coincidentally, the young man looked up to see John strapping his laptop bag over his shoulder right then.

"Were you waiting for me to finish or something?" Ben asked, beginning to pack up his things.

"See, I told you you'd finish in time." John said, ignoring the question.

"Ah, it was just a ploy to rub it in my face then!" Ben said.

"Hey, you finished didn't you?" John said pointedly, helping Ben up from his spot on the floor (Why he didn't sit in the sitting area was beyond him). "So, since you did finish (quietly for that matter) I think this calls for celebration. Ice cream?"

"Ice cream? Don't you think Jane might get mad?" Ben asked with a quirk of his head.

"If we bring home something from Applebee's, she won't know. Crisis averted."

"Ice cream sounds great then."

With that, John and Ben exited the office with a click to the light switch.

"How's your head?"

XxxxXXXxxxX

A/N: GAH! So short. I'd like to write more but I'm out of time (the 4400 premieres tonight, yay!). I'll try to update sooner next time; sorry for the wait for those of you who are reading. Thanks to my two reviewers. You're the best.

Oh, by the way, there's going to be some semblance of plot in the chapters to come. Yay!

Have nice days,

Sarah.

(1)- Adam Brody used to work at Blockbuster. Just thought I'd use it in the story, ha, ha.


	4. Chapter 4

Sweet Niblets (Oh my god, I've been watching way too much Hannah Montana)! I got a record _**four**_ reviews for this story. Oh yeah, baby! You four have brightened my days in a way I can't describe so in return: Here's the fourth chapter! Hope you like!

Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.

XxxxXXXxxxX

"Just park here. It's open."

"That's not a parking spot, Jane, that's the drop off area. We're picking up."

"What's the difference?" Jane said, grabbing the steering wheel and expertly swiveling it towards the curb.

"Hey!" John exclaimed, pushing hard on the break. He turned to his wife who took her hand away and looked out the window, avoiding her husband's gaze. "_Honey_, what was our agreement?"

"When you're driving, you're driving." Jane stated blandly, sighing.

"Right." John said. He triumphantly turned his eyes back on the road, noticing a few feet further a sign. A sign that read "Pick Up Area."

Jane had obviously noticed the sign too and was now smirking proudly at it.

"Not a word."

"Wasn't gonna."

XxxxXXXxxxX

The couple parked the car and waited. And waited. Jane fiddled with her PDA, rearranging her schedule while John loosened his tie and rested his arm on the door. He stared at the school with a stone expression. A few teens passed by, walking towards the one of the cars waiting patiently by the curb. Jane flipped her PDA closed and immediately opened up her laptop next.

"Are you sure Benjamin knows-" Before John could finish his sentence the subject of his inquiry came walking around the corner, looking truly worse for wear. In his school's burgundy and white gym shorts and shirt and black cleats, Ben sauntered over to the drop off area with a look of pain and a tinge of defeat on his face. It was hard to tell though with the bright red scratches across his right eye and the dark bruise forming on his bottom jaw. Right then it seemed he was more focused on his right wrist as he was holding it tenderly in his hand.

John and Jane watched him slowly make his way over. John watched with slight amusement. How did that kid always get out of things in the worst possible way manageable? The man was about to voice this question but was slapped sharply on his arm. One, twice, and three times more.

"Ow, ow." He said, although it didn't really hurt. He grasped the hand and looked at its owner's angry expression. "What?"

"Why did you let him do this?" Jane asked incredulously, motioning quickly with her free hand at Ben, who had stopped to look around confusedly at the parking lot.

"He didn't pick a sport so I chose one for him." John stated simply.

"Why didn't you pick chess or something? You know he's not coordinated." Jane exclaimed, wrenching her hand away.

"I know. I signed him up for a sport to learn coordination. And, mind you, chess is not considered, in any country, a sport."

"You're to sign him up for a different sport when we get home."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"What is he doing?" John said suddenly, bringing Jane's attention to the young man who was currently using a guy's cell phone. John's question was answered as his cell phone began to ring. Jane picked it up to John's annoyance.

"We're in the red van." She said curtly, hanging up.

"Do we need to make an agreement on the cell phones now too?" John asked, plucking his cell phone's out of his wife's hands. The side door to the van opened and Ben stood outside, still cradling his wrist, with a wary look on his face.

"Why are you in a minivan?" he asked.

"Jane's idea. Get in." John said. Ben obeyed and climbed into the back seat.

"Are you okay, baby?" Jane asked, extricating her seatbelt and climbing into the back seat as well. She turned Ben's eye towards her and touched it gently with her fingers. "John, doesn't this thing have a first aid kit?"

John sighed and got out of the car to dig for the kit in the van's hatchback.

"How did all this happen?" Jane asked, legitimately worried.

Ben was slightly taken aback by the woman's genuine concern. Sure, on one or two occasions Jane had offered a semblance of interest in him but this sort of thing was completely foreign.

"I got my eye scratch from sliding face first in the grass." Ben decided to explain. "I got the bruise on my jaw from hitting myself with the stick (don't ask). My wrist has been killed by the 200 pound monster known as my teammate. And I'm pretty sure high school kids today are taking steroids…" Ben trailed off.

John slid the door open and handed his wife the white kit. She opened it and started sanitizing the scratches with one of the alcohol pads from the plastic case. John leaned against the bulky red car that smelled faintly of McDonalds (yes, it was _used_), watching his wife tending to Ben.

"I'm going to talk to his coach." John stated, actually interested in what the man had to say about his "son's" sport skills. He was in mid-turn towards the school when he heard the young man's voice.

"Wait-No!" Ben said, jerking his head away from the brunette to look at John incredulously. Jane retaliated by grabbing hold of Ben's face firmly.

"What?" John said turning back to face the vehicle. "I'm just going to talk to him. See what he's got to say."

"You don't have to ask him. I can tell you that." Ben said, failing to release his head from Jane's vice-like grip. "He's going to say I sucked. That this isn't my sport and I should probably try out for the girl's league because that's what I play like. He's going to say… I'm a shameful excuse for a male and… That I…"

Ben's voice had become strained and it wasn't simply because Jane had tightened her hold on him. On the contrary, she had loosened her grasp and was now stroking Ben's hair as he slowly struggled for more words of detestation.

John leaned into the van, an intense look on his face.

"Is that what your _coach_ said?" John asked.

Ben took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He wasn't going to cry in front of these people, he told himself firmly. He swallowed the forming lump in his throat.

"No…" Ben said. "It's what the captain and his friends told me when I came to practice today."

After Ben admitted this grave piece of information, Jane looked up at her husband with a knowing look on her face. He looked straight back. Nobody could tell the difference from any of their other expressions but these looks meant only one thing: "We're going hunting."

"I only messed up _once._" Ben tried to explain, looking up pitifully at them. "I mean, you should've seen these guys. They didn't even give me a chance! They didn't give me a chance on the field or… Or when they beat me up…"

John had his jaw clenched tight. There was one thing that he really hated and that was injustice. It was rare for such a thing to be served to some one he admittedly cared about (as that list had consisted of only Eddie and Jane for a long time) so this particular case was really hitting him hard. He was on the verge of stomping over to whoever did this and dishing out the same treatment _times_ ten (and, believe me, he could do that, no sweat). The only thing stopping him was his wife's uncanny ability to read his mind.

"Honey, why don't you take us home?" she said. It was the farthest thing from a question and John knew it. Ben was dead to the world as he cradled his aching head with his good hand, trying his hardest to blink back the tears and the memory of the adverse event. John let out the smallest huff of anger as he slammed the door.

XxxxXXXxxxX

John and Jane Smith were both fuming as they entered the house. Being agents, they hid this growing anger very well. Jane had coaxed Ben into letting her finish dressing his wounds. After which, she convinced him into taking a shower.

"It'll make you feel better." She said after she had added the last metal fastener to the end of the gauze. Ben had been silent the entire time -something that, on most occasions, Jane would have been happy for but, this time, found it only to be incredibly distressing. She looks up at his downcast, eyes. "Benjamin."

He looked up at her solemnly.

"I know you're smart. So, what I'm wondering, is why you're letting what these guys said to you penetrate through that brain? Nothing John and I tell you seems to reach that far. And we've told you _a lot_ of things. But here they go, on their first try, and they've got you near tears? What makes them so special?" Jane asked, looking mock-irritated.

Ben couldn't help but smile a little at her speech.

"What makes you think they got to me?" he asked.

"Oh… Just a guess." Jane shrugged with a smile. "Wash up; I have to talk with John."

Ben left and Jane sat on the couch, staring after him. Right then she was more getting over the shock of how good it felt to make Ben feel better than to "revel in the moment." She had no idea this is what it would feel like. She liked it…

Jane snapped out of her short reverie and headed upstairs to talk to John. She found him in their room on the bed, typing quickly into his laptop.

"What have you found?" Jane asked, walking over to sit down next to him.

"It says here that Jerry Goldblume is the captain but I can't tell which of these players would be his buddies..." John said, scrolling down the list of names.

"I'm sure we can persuade him to tell us." Jane said. John looked at her. He always found his wife to be at her sexiest when she talked of missions.

"And by 'persuade', you mean…?"

Jane simply quirked her eyebrow seductively.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben got out of the shower and dressed into a pair of navy jogging pants and a blue and white striped polo before settling down on the couch in the loft. He sat there for awhile, thinking about his earlier experience, picking at his bandage, and- Well, basically pouting.

John and Jane exited their room and Ben looked over at them. They had changed their clothes into rather formal apparel. Both looked, as usual, gorgeous in their fancy attire, which piqued Ben's interest.

"Where are you going?" the young man asked as they neared the couch he was lounging in.

"We have a meeting with an important associate of mine. It shouldn't take long. We'll bring home dinner so don't spoil it." John said as he slipped his wallet into his back pocket. He finished the sentence with a silent "again," which made Ben smirk. Jane looked over suspiciously, hearing the quiet exchange, but decided to leave it alone.

"Are you all right?" Jane asked, looking down at Ben as she slid her small black purse on her forearm.

"Yeah…" Ben said. "Thanks."

She smiled and ruffled his disheveled black hair (she was beginning to see the amusement John felt from doing that). Then the couple made their way down the stairs and out the door, leaving Ben to a newly-dubbed "movie night."

XxxxXXXxxxX

"Making it look like he and his friends drunkenly crashed Jerry's parents' car was too easy."

"Mmm," Jane agreed. "He should really be more aware. I guess that's going to be hard now with his new neck brace though."

"True. I doubt playing lacrosse will be easy with that broken arm." John said, shrugging off his suit jacket. "Did you really have to break it? It looked like it was pretty beat up in the first place."

"I was just making sure." Jane stated simply. "Anyways, he was unconscious, I doubt he felt anything."

John and Jane climbed the stairs but stopped talking when they arrived at the second floor landing. On the screen of the loft's television was one of John's favorite movies "My Fair Lady." Eliza, the main character of the classic, was talking in her refined English with Henry Higgins's mother so the two instantly recognized it was nearing its end.

John went to turn off the television but found the remote in the slack hold of a sleeping, tousled-haired young man. Ben lay on his side facing away from the stimulating glow of the TV, his head burrowed deep into an orange cushion. His bandaged wrist was curled up next to his head while his good hand lightly grasped the black device. The slow rising and falling of his chest indicated he really was dead to the world so John stealthily lifted the remote from his fingers.

"I guess he doesn't realize a good movie when he sees one." John said, disappointed that on of his favorite film was being neglected in such a way. He turned off the TV, which sent the room into a peaceful silence.

"_**I**_ guess that Ben has just had a rough day." Jane said, stepping closer to her husband. John grabbed her by the waist.

"_He's_ had a rough day?" he said softly, nuzzling his nose into her neck. "We're the ones dishing out the cold revenge."

"Mmm," she said as they started making out. Ben suddenly started to fidget and repositioned his chest on his wrist which caused him to sit up in pain.

"Oow," he exclaimed tiredly, rubbing at the bandage. He blearily squinted his eyes in the light from the lamp, focusing enough to notice the couple behind him. "How long have you guys been there?"

"Not long enough," John said exasperatedly, reluctantly breaking apart from his wife as Ben continued to stare at them.

"Where's the food?" Ben asked, yawning. John and Jane opened their eyes in realization. How had they forgotten?

"Um-We…" Jane cleared her throat, looking for John for assistance.

"My associates are just _pigs_. They ate all the leftovers. Jane tried to put her own food in a takeout box and the guy just ate it all up." John explained clumsily.

"Are you hungry? John can probably pick something up." John shot his wife a shrewd glare which she blatantly ignored as Ben replied in the negative.

"No, I ate a little already." Ben said. He hoped Jane wouldn't ask him _what_ because that would mean admitting to spoiling his nonexistent dinner. He dug the empty box of whoppers deeper under the cushion.

"All right…" She said, suspicion evident. "Sorry we took so long. John's associates just wouldn't shut up. How _do_ you work with them?"

John shrugged.

"I get a lot of practice with other _headaches._" He said, obviously referring to Jane herself. Jane smirked and walked off to their room. John sighed, looking after the woman he loved. "Speaking of headaches, how are you feeling?"

Ben wasn't sure if the headache line referred to his health or to him but he waved it off.

"I took some pain relievers which is what's making me a little drowsy, but other than that, my wrist is the only thing that still bothers me." Ben said, massaging his injured wrist.

"Are you _okay_ though? With those guys." John asked, hoping the subject wouldn't put Ben in the defensive. Ben exhaled deeply.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow at practice though." Ben said tiredly.

"Don't worry about it. I took you off the team for 'medical reasons.' Jane forced me to sign you up for chess though. At least we know you can take those geeks, right?"

"Yeah, I think I can handle it." Ben said with a laugh after he had inwardly celebrated his removal from the sport. He had been praying for it since he had learned he was signed up. Thank God!

"Get some sleep." John said, turning off the light. Ben grabbed the duvet hanging over the side of the couch and wrapped himself in it. He closed his eyes and was immediately immersed in a pleasant dream about his new family…

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben was watching the news on the refrigerator's TV (yes, those do exist!) the next morning, munching on some cereal, when a particular report aired that immediately caught his attention.

"A local school's lacrosse captain and two friends were badly injured yesterday after the trio spent the night illegally drinking at the downtown bar. The car was totaled but the young men were not killed in the terrible accident."

From there the report showed some gruesome scenes of the crash and then a notice to parents aired about the importance of keeping their kids away from alcohol.

"Are you guys seeing this?!" Ben exclaimed, looking at John and Jane.

John looked up from his newspaper reading and nodded at the screen.

"Drink and drive and I'll kick your butt." John said, taking a swig of his coffee before grabbing his briefcase.

"Same here." Jane piped up as she continued her slicing of a grapefruit.

Ben just stared at the two of them and then back at the screen.

"C'mon you don't want to be late for school." John said, handing Ben his backpack. Ben accepted it robotically, still shell-shocked by the report, not once suspecting that the two _agents_ could've been behind such a fitting disaster. John winked at Jane who grinned as she sprinkled her fruit with sugar.

"Have a nice day."

XxxxXXXxxxX

Argh! 12:01am! I didn't make my Sunday deadline. It's now _Monday. _Sorry for the wait, guys. I really do appreciate each and every review. You learn to be thankful when you have so little. :P Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I did soften Jane up a bit in this one. Sorry I keep using Ben as my whipping boy though; that's just how I roll if you've read any of my other stories, ha, ha. Anyways, please review. They're the only thing keeping this story alive!

Have nice days,

Sarah


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Oh, I'm so, so sorry, guys. I took your wonderful reviews for granted and I missed last Sunday's update. My first draft was accidentally deleted so that pissed me off quite a lot. I promise I'll have next chapter up sooner than Sunday then, all right?

**Disclaimer**: I owneth not.

**XxxxXXXxxxX **

"That kid I played in the second round was so tactless." Ben said arrogantly as he sat in the backseat of the new/used minivan. He stared proudly at the bronze chess trophy that sat in its lap.

"That kid was also so nerdy." John pointed out as he drove the van towards home. Jane smirked a little at the comment, tapping the button on her camera to review the pictures she took of the event.

"If you hadn't noticed, so was everybody else in the room. That's beside the point though." Ben said with a roll to his eyes. "He was playing like a fifth grader. Wait, no, I played a fifth grader once and even she was better than that guy."

"Aw, look at this one." Jane said, showing off a picture of Ben with a very anxious look on his face as he stared at his dorky opponent's next move.

John moved his head to look at it.

"Yeesh, you need to work on your poker face, Benjamin." John said with a shake to his head.

"What? Let me see." Ben said, scooting up to see the shot. "Oh, I remember that. Stupid rook. I was this close to getting second place, but I totally spaced on that piece. It just came outta no where!"

John and Jane shared an amused smirk.

"I think you played just fine." Jane said, taking the camera away. "All those guys in there were pretty tough. I was amazed you made it so far."

"She means she didn't know you were such a geek," John grinned. Jane slapped him playfully while Ben just scowled.

"Just because a person is uncannily good at a board game doesn't mean they're a geek." Jane admonished her husband. "…Per se."

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

John pulled into the long driveway of their large suburban home and got out of the car, leaving the engine running. They were on their way to a celebratory lunch (if that's what you wanted to call going to a restaurant because your kid won an amateur chess tournament, so be it.) but John had to stop by the house to pick up his other cell. It was a procedure he and his wife made up; don't ask them to elaborate if you enjoy your life.

He had just unwrapped a new phone and was about to slip it into his pocket when it rang suddenly. He flipped it open, slightly surprised by the happenstance of it all, before being greeted by the sarcastic tone of his best bud Eddie.

"Hey, pal, how's parenthood treatin' you?" the voice asked.

"Just fine, Eddie. Where you been?" John asked, leaning against a wall coolly.

"Uh, you know me, out and about. It's hard, you know, being an agent and at the same time trying to keep a hawk eye on the field for any missions regarding a certain couple."

John smiled.

"Still haven't suspected you yet, huh?" John asked.

"Are you kidding me? I'm at the bottom of their suspect list. I'm a wild man when the subject of the family Smith comes up. Ranting and raving about my fiery hatred for all things John and Jane. How you two made my life a living hell. I've even put on the water works a couple of times. You owe me big, you know."

"You'll never let me forget." John smiled again.

"Right, right. Well, since you do owe me a rather large sum of favors, I've got something to ask of you. Jane too." Eddie began.

"It'll have to wait. Jane and Benjamin are waiting in the car-"

"What? Hey. Tears, man, big crocodile tears. All for you!" Eddie said quickly, sensing the call was about to end.

"Later. I promise." John said, already walking towards the door.

"Where are you going? John?! Johnny. Wai-" John snapped his phone closed with a smirk as he walked out the door. He loved torturing his best friend, almost as much as he loved to torture Ben…

He locked the front door and walked down the driveway, re-entering the driver's side of the car.

"What took you so long?" Jane asked.

"I got a call. Wrong number." John said with a hint of humor in his voice.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

The three were seated in a cushioned booth at a downtown pancake house. John and Jane sat on one side, conversing about the stock market that was playing on a TV behind Ben. The younger man had swiveled his head around to see but promptly rolled his eyes, wondering how anyone could understand, nay, find enjoyment in, all the little numbers and arrows scrolling across the screen.

Ben went back to studying his menu, trying to find the unhealthiest food that had ever held presence on a plate. It was tough living under the roof of an agent like Jane. She proved that, although she honed the skills of the smartest, fastest, and strongest, she more than lacked in the ability of cooking. Not only that, but she left no escape plan for when you tried to eat something else, stocking the refrigerator with a life supply of health food any personal trainer would be proud of. Moments like this were not to be taken lightly, Ben said to himself as he finally picked out an entrée that was sure to leave him gasping for air.

"Hey, Ben, John and I got you something," Jane said, causing the dark-eyed boy to look up suddenly. She picked up her ever-present laptop bag and placed it on the table in front of her, pulling out a red, folded-up gift bag and handing it over to Ben. The young man accepted it graciously, nodding in thanks before reaching his hand inside the bag to pull out what appeared to be an article of clothing.

It was a jersey in his school colors of burgundy and white, but it wasn't for any sport, on the front of it were several pawns and a large knight chess piece in front of them.

"Yeah, just because you're not on the lacrosse team, doesn't mean you can't have one of those cool team uniforms." John said, looking entertained. "If any of your other teammates want one, just ask."

"Oh, thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Ben said, sarcasm evident.

He turned the jersey over to read the bold white letters spelling out the word SMITH at the top. He looked at this part for a long time until his eyes softened into wistfulness. Somehow, this word, the most common last name in use by the American nation today, touched him for a moment. He wouldn't be able to describe the feeling exactly but a sense of acceptance was definitely there. Oh, put a lid on it, Ben. Ben thought to himself bitterly, extinguishing the emotion as quickly as it came. This isn't some "acceptance letter" into their family. It's just a gift. That's all. Stop trying to fool yourself that you could actually be in this family. It's a mission and a mission alone. You had a chance to be in a family- yours- and you blew it. People don't get a second chance.

John and Jane's expression's turned slowly into one of confusion as Ben continued to stare at the jersey in an odd manner. The waiter came by, took their order, and Ben still had yet to look up (unfortunately forcing Jane to order for him.) The young man was having an inner battle with himself. Was it safe to consider John and Jane family or not? Already he had several reasons why he shouldn't and a couple of why he could.

"Benjamin," Jane called for the third time, this one accompanied by a light smack to his head.

"What?" Ben said, snapping out of his deep reverie. "Oh god, sorry. I was just, um…" He didn't exactly want to tell them _what_ he was doing. "Where's the waiter?" he asked quickly, changing the subject and faking impatience.

"She already came by," John exclaimed with skepticism in his eyes and voice.

"Don't worry. I ordered for you." Jane said. Ben's face dropped.

"It's funny that you would say 'don't worry' because the idea of you ordering for me has me more concerned than ever." Ben said.

"Stop daydreaming then," Jane said, taking a sip from her straw.

Ben was about to ask John why he hadn't ordered for him when somebody plopped next to him on his side of the booth. Ben instinctively slid to the farthest end of the cushioned bench, looking at the person who was now occupying his precious spot with an incredulous expression.

"Hey, Johnny, you know it's pretty easy to find you once I know you're digits." Eddie said, sparing the smallest of glances to the bothered-looking young man now on the far side of the booth.

"Is that how it works with your girlfriends? You hack their files and track them down?" Jane said sardonically.

"Ha, ha, you're not funny." Eddie said flatly, sending his trademark distrustful glare towards Jane. She smirked.

John was sighing.

"Eddie, why did you come here?" John asked pointedly. "We're trying to have lunch."

Eddie stared his best friend for a moment before turning to Ben.

"You must be Benjamin," he said, grabbing Ben's hand and shaking it. "Heard so much about you. How's life with the folks? Working out okay?"

"Um-" Ben was having trouble fully registering the fast-talking man's question. "Who-Who are you?"

"I'm special agent Eddie." He replied. "Not a smart kid you got on your hands."

Ben looked guilty all of a sudden. Why were John and Jane acting so casually around this man? Wasn't he the guy they were working so hard to run from? Ben didn't understand.

"He's a friend, Benjamin." Jane explained after quickly reading the young man's expression.

"Yeah, you've got me to thank for this little family arrangement." Eddie said, taking a swig from Ben's Sprite.

"Stop changing the subject man." John interrupted. Eddie placed the cup down with a clack. "What are you doing here?"

"Okay, well, I'm hoping to cash in one of those many favors you guys owe me."

"Yes, yes, you've said." John said, trying to see where this was going.

"He's _said_?" Jane said, looking at her husband. John expression quickly turned into one of guilt. "Have you guys been talking behind my back again? I thought we agreed I'd be present for all briefings."

"It wasn't a briefing, Jane. He had just called me really quick on my way out the door." John defended, trying to calm his wife's growing temper.

"You told me that was a wrong number!" Jane accused.

"It wasn't a big deal."

"That doesn't matter. If it was Eddie, I have to be there."

"Yah, but for little calls?"

"It wasn't _little_ if he's giving us a mission. And you _know_ you relay information badly."

"Oh, now this is about _my_ briefing skills?"

"Yes, let's talk about those. First off: Why don't you have any?"

"Hey, hey, hey," Eddie said, finally butting in when he saw John's jaw clench noticeable. (Everyone knew things would get ugly when jaws were clenched that tightly.) "Not in front of the kid, guys. C'mon. Let me just explain to you the mission and you three can go on your merry way, all right?"

"Who says we're going to accept it?" Jane challenged, still frenzied by the terse argument.

"The supermarket in Washington."

John and Jane both looked away shame-faced at the phrase. Ben just looked confused.

"Knew that would come back and bite us in the-"

"Okay, okay, fine. What is it?" Jane asked reluctantly.

"Well, down at HQ we've gotten our hands on some plans about a shooting that's going to happen soon. A Mr. Mike Kensworth is the victim in the situation. Guy's got a lot of enemies so the writer of these plans has been tough to find."

"What does he do?" John asked.

"He's a divorce court lawyer." Eddie explained to which John and Jane both nodded perceptively. "Yeah. Well, I have had the good fortune of surveillance on Mr. Kensworth and recently discovered one of Mike's top enemies goes to the same church as him. The plan says the guy's going down 'in his Sunday best." Coincidence? I didn't think so." Eddie said, finishing off.

"You want us to go to his church and take him out then?" John inquired.

"Sure, if you can catch him in the act or, since by then it might be too late, find proof."

"What's this guy's name anyway?"

"Eric Kimball." Eddie said.

"Eric Kimball." Jane muttered in recognition. She looked at Eddie seriously. "Killing Kimball?"

"That's the one." Eddie nodded at her. "The same business man from Wyoming who went a little crazy and shot up the employees. It's funny to think that his wife only left him after the runaway to New Jersey. So, yeah, here we are. Murderer on the loose, enemy in sight, no math is needed."

"Don't worry. We'll get him." John said firmly. Eddie cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at John. Jane rolled her eyes. "And you can have the credit. Jesus, Eddie, it's not like we could take it in the first place."

"I know." Eddie said with a grin. "I just like hearing you say it. Junior can come along too if you like."

Ben bristled at the nickname but remained quiet.

"We'll see." Jane said as they're food arrived. Ben was pleasantly surprised by the regular, totally non-organic pancakes placed in front of him with a small clack.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

"Ergh, who the heck invented the tie? How does choking yourself with a piece of silk make you more handsome?" Ben asked from the backseat of the van. John and Jane decided to take Ben along to the church with them since they didn't find any extreme harm in doing so. (They still equipped him with gear just in case though.)

"Here let me do it." Jane said, motioning Ben forward.

"No, I don't want to wear it in the first place," Ben said, grabbing one end of the tie and pulling it off his neck. He frowned at the glossy, baby blue fabric which Jane had commented would "bring out his eyes." Pft, his eyes weren't blue so he didn't understand how such a color could amplify anything on his face.

"No, wear it. You're wearing Converse with your suit, so you have to have something on that looks decent." Jane pointed out. Ben scowled.

John was now pulling into the parking lot of the large, brown church. The words on the front of the building read Word of Life Church in big gold letters that shined in the early morning sun. After searching for a few moments, John found a space in between two sedans. Jane turned around to discover Ben had spitefully abandoned the tie on the floor. She reached over and picked it up, ordering him once more to put it on.

"No, not only is that that thing extremely uncomfortable, but it also makes you look like a total nerd." Ben said.

"Is that so?" John said, turning around in the driver's seat. He was wearing an expensive-looking black tie and a glint in his eye. He grabbed the tie (**A/N:** oh my god, triple rhyme!) Jane held out and started to climb into the backseat.

Ben saw what was coming next and started sheepishly scooting away.

"Well, it l-looks good on you. Great, in fact. I was just talking about other people, me included." Ben added quickly, his voice getting higher.

"Uh-huh…" John said as he approached the young man who was now fighting to pull the van's door open only to find it was locked by a certain dazzling agent up front.

_Oh crap._

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

Ben followed John and Jane as they walked towards the entrance of the church. He glared at John's back as he adjusted the too-tight tie currently blocking the blood flow to his brain.

"Benjamin." Jane said in a warning tone as she glanced behind her just in time. Ben took his hand away after he had tugged it low enough for him to breath.

"Do you _want_ me to choke to death?" Ben grumbled as he caught up with them. John and Jane both smirked amusedly at the question as they walked up to the doors.

A greeter stood at the entrance and greeted them warmly, directing them inside toward the ushers which would seat them. The trio entered through the glass doors and into the general foyer area of the church. Two doors on the left and right lead people into the gorgeous sanctuary with seats arranged in a sort of coliseum way, dipping down toward the stage in the very center.

"Hello, who might you be?" An usher standing guard at the entrance of these one of the two doors asked. She was a hefty white woman with blue bug eyes and white blonde hair.

"I'm John Smith and this is my wife Jane and our son Benjamin." Ben, once again too distracted by his observing, turned to her at the sound of his name.

Jane was warmly shaking her hand and she smiled a toothy grin at him.

"Well, aren't you handsome?" she said, causing Ben to become shy suddenly. He hoped on God's green earth that she wouldn't pinch his cheeks. Not only would it be wholly embarrassing but, did anyone seriously do that anymore?

Fortunately, she knew of the cliché and proceeded to lead them to some seats in the middle. John let Jane and Ben in before him and thanked the woman who flashed him her nightmarish smile again.

"That was easy enough." John said as he sat down on the hard wooden bench. Ben was trying to get comfortable but found it wholly impossible since the seat was as hard as rock. "I'm going to take a quick sweep of the place. Alert me when Kimball or Kensworth get here."

"Kimball's here." Jane deadpanned. John looked around to where her eyes were staring and saw the tall, handsome man with sandy brown hair from the agency file's pictures.

"All right then, watch for Kensworth." John said.

"Front row on the right," Jane said with an air of overconfidence.

John adjusted his eyes on the tanned man with cropped, jet-black hair.

"Fine, smart-alec, just watch them." Jane smiled at her husband's clipped tone. Ben was studying the assumed killer when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder behind him.

"Oh dear god-" Ben interjected in surprise. John and Jane looked up from their planning at Ben's cry and connected the hand on his shoulder to a young man with shining green eyes.

"Hey, buddy." He said. "Thought I recognized you."

Ben looked up at the familiar voice and locked eyes with Dominic. He was wearing a green dress shirt that, Ben had to admit, really brought out his eyes…

"H-Hey, Dominic." Ben said, letting out his breath of relief. "How's it going?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me to the back. We have a youth service here and I'm the guitarist in the worship team's band. Can he check it out?" Dominic asked, turning his head to John and Jane who cast glances at each other.

"Sure, I don't see why not." John said casually.

"Have fun." Jane said cheerily. She placed a hand on Ben's shoulder and leaned in, kissing him on the cheek as she whispered "Leave you mic on and alert John or me if you run into anything."

"Okay, thanks." He said, pulling away and hastily wiping his cheek.

The duo left towards the door, leaving John and Jane to stare behind Ben worriedly.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

"Okay, how is it that your mom and dad are beautiful and you're like, I don't know, I don't want to say ugly but compared to them, yeah, you could be." Dominic reasoned thoughtfully.

"Shut up," Ben said with a laugh, nudging Dominic in the ribs.

"Ow, hey, I use those." Dominic laughed in return, rubbing his sore side. "Okay, so, just admit it, you're adopted, right?"

"You just have to learn to accept that some of us just aren't as lucky as you, Dominic." Ben said, thinking fast.

Dominic sighed.

"I suppose you're right. When you have as many girls as I have swooning over you, you tend to forget others just aren't as gorgeous."

"Well, at least you're humble. That's all that matter, right?"

Dominic laughed. He led Ben down a couple more halls, passing by numerous teenagers, all wearing trendy church clothes, before finally arriving at the _very_ back of the church in a dimly lit hall. On one part of the floor was a silver metal door with several bolts framing it. Dominic bent over it and grabbed the edge, swinging it open to reveal a grated metal staircase.

Ben looked inquisitively at the room beneath it and found it to very cramped and dark, with only a few lanterns lighting its entirety.

"I thought you said you were part of the band. Doesn't that mean you play _on stage_?" Ben asked, switching his gaze to Dominic, who smiled.

"Yeah, I'm just getting my equipment. Come help me." Ben nodded and started walking down the stairs, holding tightly to the rail on the side. A loud clunk was heard and Ben found that Dominic had closed the door behind him.

"Sorry." Dominic said sheepishly. "Just don't want people to fall in."

Ben grasped the rail tighter and stepped down the stairs some more before arriving at the final landing.

It was quite the unpleasant surprise to find two guns trailed on him once he made it there though.

"Dominic?" Ben asked, staring wide-eyed at the guns, hands already up in the air.

"Whoa, whoa, guys, cool it. He's with me." Dominic said, placing an arm around Ben's shoulder.

The young men wearing black beanies lowered their weapons and went back to their business. Ben didn't further scrutinize them because he was a little more preoccupied with why someone he thought was his friend would lead him into this deathtrap!

"Why did you take me here?" Ben asked frantically, rounding on Dominic. The green-eyed boy shrugged.

"I don't know. I thought it might be cool to have you around for when I finally become an agent."

Ben blinked.

"What?" he asked, eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean an agent? How are you going to become an agent underneath a stage?"

"I mean a real live agent. I've wanted to become one for so long. They've got all the connections and the skills. I know that because my dad was one for a little while. When I learned this, I told him I wanted to be one but he just laughed in my face. The only way he's going to take me seriously is if I prove myself to him."

"Please tell me you're going to shoot a few cans in the backyard." Ben pleaded.

Dominic laughed a hearty cackle (for some reason it sounded more cynical this time).

"On no, something a little more elaborate than that." He explained. "I've got the guy who divorced my mom and dad sitting right in front of the stage above our heads. When the moment's right, I'm going to kill him."

It hit Ben like a ton of bricks that he was Killer Kimball's son. He couldn't believe he didn't realize. He had even read "Dominic Kimball" on his student ID one time! Boy, did he feel idiotic…

"I will need you later on though," Dominic said, interrupting his thoughts. "For the escape plan."

Ben watched as Dominic turned his attention to his working comrades. Although this was the most unpredictable event on the planet, he knew one thing was for _sure_: He had to call John and Jane.

**XxxxXXXxxxX**

**A/N: **Oo, twisty. :P I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Again, I'm terribly, terribly sorry it took so long to post. **Reviews** really ensure that would never happen again though!

Have nice days,

-Sarah


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I really need a new genre for this story. It is soo not adventure.

**Disclaimer:** This story is for fun and not for profit. If it was for profit, I'd cast Pitt as John, Jolie as Jane, and… Me as Ben:P Just kidding. Brody does an excellent job.

To say that Ben was scared would be an understatement. He was absolutely terrified. He had been around guns and shootings before (those situations left him crying like a baby) but this one was involved somebody's life in _his_ hands. His heart was beating like a jackhammer and he was sweating up a storm in more places than none. If he didn't muster up the courage to sneak a transmission to John and Jane now, he would definitely be too late.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Ben looked around the room carefully to make sure nobody was watching him. Dominic was pointing at a diagram with one of the beanie-headed lackeys while the other crony was setting up an intricate-looking gun in front of a wall with a slat in it. The slat obviously led to the sanctuary where one Mike Kensworth sat, perfectly in view of the sniper's cross-hair.

The crony glanced up at Ben from his adjusting and Ben offered him a casual smile.

"Looks good." He said, trying his best to keep his voice steady and not like a frightened girl's squeak. The crony simply nodded in return and went back to his work.

Okay, now was his chance. Ben slouched off his suit jacket to find some semblance of relief in the suffocating place before burying himself deeper into the corner of the cramped underground storage hold. He began fiddling with the mic Jane had attached to his dress shirt collar and pushed the speaker further into his ear. He had to be as inconspicuous as possible but it was hard to be when talking would only alert any of the others present.

Ben's small prayer was answered, ironically with the church choir above their heads. The booming, charismatic music followed shortly after, resulting in a music experience which Ben would very much like to never hear again, for being underneath the stage of the performers was truly irritating.

"Worship's started. We're a go." The crony assembling the gun reported. Dominic nodded and took out an eye patch from one of the pockets in his belt. Also in the belt was a nice .44 that made Ben cower further in the corner. Dominic placed the patch over the eye and started setting himself in front of the gun. Ben gulped and immediately started trying to contact John and Jane.

"John, Jane, Dominic's the shooter. I need help right now." He whispered hastily. The moment the words were spoken in his mic though, he received a terrible ringing in his earpiece. He grimaced, choking back any verbal exclamations, and tried a second time.

More feedback.

Ben knew his huge problem had just gotten even bigger. With John and Jane out of the picture, Ben was totally helpless. Somebody was going to die and it would be on his hands. Thoughts were going through his head, his breath was labored, and his sight was blurring. The panic attack was coming on in full force.

"Target locked." Dominic announced. Ben was brought back from collapsing by those two little words that made his heart skip a beat and his stomach catch in his throat. His brain left him and he found himself running over to Dominic at full speed. Ben tackled him and the shooter's hand pressed the trigger.

Everything was silent… And then all at once screams were heard. Yells, cries, wails, stomping, everything was amplified underneath.

"Oh my god," Dominic exclaimed, tearing off his patch. "Did we get him?!" he asked the crony who was now positioned behind the massive gun. The crony, with one eye shut, searched the area with his scope.

"There's blood." He said distractedly. "I can't affirm with all these people- Wait. Wait a second. He's been shot… His leg. We shot his leg. He's grasping his leg but he's definitely frickin' breathing!" the crony yelled, royally pissed off.

"ARGH!" Dominic yelled, kicking the crate that the plans were on, knocking them harshly to the ground. "Try and get another shot while I deal with _this_."

Ben was pinned against the wall by the bulkier, obviously stronger lackey. The crony stared at him with a fierce expression, using every ounce of energy he had not to knock Ben out then and there. His demeanor was nothing compared to Dominic's though. His once handsome features were shadowed by a hate and anger Ben had never seen before. Dominic was breathing hard and staring at Ben intensely.

The gun he had whipped out definitely caught Ben's attention.

"I can't believe you. You just have no idea how much this means to me. I've been planning and studying for months and then you come along and ruin it!? Jimmy can't even get a visual now!" he yelled, jerking the gun at Ben.

The lackey readjusted his grip on Ben, in the process, feeling a wire underneath his shirt's thin material. Dominic's minion swiftly let him go and ripped open Ben's shirt, revealing the mic.

"We got a wire." The crony declared, settling for grabbing Ben's forearm none too softly and showing Dominic the bug.

Dominic's expression was one of shock. He stared at the wire and his eyes darkened as they traveled up to Ben's frightened expression.

"How did you know?" Dominic seethed. He got no answer. Just petrified silence. "Ben, you're going to die today, so your last words better be the answer to that question or I'm going to make it a long and painful one."

Ben didn't know how to respond. In all truth, he _didn't know _that Dominic was the shooter. If he did, he wouldn't have left the house until this boy was dead or heavily guarded in a government facility.

Dominic cocked the gun.

"You've got three seconds."

Ben searched for words but nothing was coming. Nothing he could say was going to stop this psycho anyway.

"Three… Two…"

Ben closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet to hit his… Where ever. The clunk of something falling down the stairs and sliding to a halt at his shoe managed to open his eyes though. All three of them were looking down at the device until it let out a high-pitched beep and emitted large, thick clouds of noxious gas.

In seconds, everyone present was keeled over, gasping for air, coughing, and slowly losing consciousness. Ben eyes were watering as he fell to the floor, wheezing. If this was John and Jane's plan for him to escape, he wasn't going to make it to the stairs!

Suddenly, he was being grabbed from under his underarms and lifted up until he was hefted over a strong person's shoulder. Ben wasn't sure when exactly everything went black though.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Once John had Ben over his shoulder, he started for the stairs. The mask really only cleared his nose and mouth passages, making the walk to the stairs a hazy and difficult one. Jane was around somewhere, injecting the others with a formula that would leave them knocked out and paralyzed for a while. He thought about helping her but he had to get Ben out of the room ASAP.

John finally found the stairs and began hauling Ben up them. He finally arrived at the top landing, relieving himself of the human burden by placing Ben with a grunt onto the floor. He hovered over the young man, panting. His first instinct was to make sure his pulse was still strong and that's when he heard it.

Bang, bang, bang!

The first one seemed to ricochet off something but John couldn't tell with the last two. He stared warily down the stairs, thoughts about Jane flying through his head when said wife started slowly making her way up the stairs. She was panting through clenched teeth and holding firmly to her obviously wounded shoulder. Blood was staining her light purple dress and seeping through the creases of her hand. John could only look at her with worry.

"We gotta go." She said as she noticed John wasn't moving but staring at her with a concerned expression. He snapped out of it. His wife would be okay… For now.

John set to hoisting the still unconscious Ben over his shoulder. Footsteps were heard as the ushers were finally getting their heads together and going in the general direction of where the shots were fired, meaning John and Jane has to shake a leg.

Fortunately, there was a back exit. Still grasping with a grimace her wounded shoulder, Jane opened it with a push, revealing the midday light. It was easy to stay inconspicuous in the barrage of people running and screaming around the parking lot, John and Jane discovered. A couple people even had fainted persons over their shoulders so nobody second-glanced John and Ben. Some people did however give terribly loud screams as Jane rushed past with blood on her dress but she was a little preoccupied to notice.

John and Jane finally made it through the crowds of people to their van. John opened the door with one hand and dropped Ben into the seat with the other. Jane entered the passenger side, taking care not to jostle her shoulder.

"Do you think they can connect anything to us?" Jane asked, mind obviously not on her own welfare.

John glanced backwards at the church then to his wife.

"Not sure. We might have to send Eddie in to do some personal investigating." John said while buckling Ben into the seat. He clicked it in and checked the young man's pulse.

"He's good, should come around in an hour or two, but what about you?" John asked, directing his gaze at Jane's injury.

She sighed.

"I'm probably going to need to go to the hospital fast. That brat got me pretty deep." She said disdainfully, peaking at her now blood-soaked hand.

"Let's go then." John said resolutely, sliding the van door close. "We definitely need a cover story though."

XxxxXXXxxxX

"My wife was in the bathroom for three minutes, she came out the same time a man came out of the other restroom, and-and he shot her for no good reason! I couldn't even catch up with him! My wife just wanted to use the public restroom at the gas station and, now, now she's going to die!" John said, adding a sob for acting's sake.

The Indian nurse writing the report on her clipboard stared at him sympathetically.

"Shh, shh, Mr. Smith, your wife's not going to die. We've prepped her for a simple surgery. I'll tell you as soon as she's out. Please." She finished, gesturing toward the waiting area. He nodded with sad thanks, looking close to tears, and started towards the waiting room.

Once the nurse was gone though, he made a side step towards the exit.

The sun was setting now and John realized the events of today were really taking a toll on him. The fact that his wife was in surgery was especially unnerving to him. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind. God, he needed a drink. He started walking.

Arriving at his red van once again, John slid open the back door to discover Ben was still unconscious. He shook the young man and slapped him lightly on the cheek until Ben stirred.

He blearily opened his eyes in the evening light and attempted to focus them on the man in front of him.

"John?" Ben asked, his throat scratchy.

"Yeah, how do you feel?" John asked, getting straight to the point.

Ben tried to recount the events of before and once he salvaged one, the rest came flooding in. He gasped and stared at John anxiously.

"Oh my god… In the room, with the gun. What happened? Where's Jane?" Ben said, looking around.

"Benjamin, just calm down, okay?" John said. "All that's been taken care of. You're going to need to take it easy though because that stuff you inhaled has some pretty powerful side effects. As for Jane, she's-she's"

For some reason John couldn't identify, it hurt a lot more to admit the truth while looking into the big brown eyes of the young man before him.

"What happened?" he said, eyebrows knitted together.

"She's in surgery right now. She's going to be okay though." John said decisively. He hoped his eyes matched his words as he turned away from him to unbuckle his seatbelt. "C'mon, let's get some coffee inside. Jane should be out in a couple of hours…"

Ben nodded, exiting the backseat to follow John inside the hospital. He felt guilt fall on him with every step closer to the doors of the building. Could he have done something to stop this? Ben inwardly knew the answer to that. Somewhere along the way he did something that ruined John and Jane's perfect plan and this is what happened. Would he ever be able to face Jane again?

XxxxXXXxxxX

**A/N:** Okay, I deserve the silent treatment from you reviewers. I was late last time. I get it. But please, please, please, this is a tad bit early so spare me one? Please? It'll make me feel so much better!

Have nice days,

Sarah


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I'm just getting way to crappy with this update thing. Sorry guys, I'd give you an excuse but that's all it would be, an excuse. And I'm tired of whining about my busy schedule. Just, trust me, if I could update as soon as possible, I would.

**Special Note: **I really want to thank my previously anonymous National Treasure reviewer, "**save changes to normal**," who finally knocked me out of my work-filled reverie. You truly rock!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

XxxxXXXxxxX

John plopped the steaming cup of coffee in front of the young man. Ben tugged on his tie, mumbling a quiet thanks before taking a cautious sip of the burning liquid. John sat down opposite him with his own cup but started dialing on his phone before actually drinking any of it.

John put the phone to his ear, totally oblivious to the major sulking session going on across from him. The ever-alert agent always was a bit off his game when something was bothering him so Ben's intense gaze at his coffee was going completely unnoticed.

"Hey, Eddie… Well, as long as you're happy… No, 'all right' isn't the word I'd use to describe it; Jane was hurt... Yeah, she's fine. She's in surgery right now. I'm not sure when we're going to be able to see her though… Benjamin?" John took a moment to glance at the boy opposite him, noticing the young man's forlorn expression for the first time. "Yeah, he's fine. A little banged up but nothing too bad… What? No, I don't think that's a good idea… No… No! …Oh all right fine. I'll see you later than." He clicked his phone closed, sighing.

Ben was looking at John after hearing the one-sided argument.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"That was Eddie." John stated.

"Yeah, I think I heard that part." Ben replied sarcastically.

"You're going to go home with him since I'm probably going to be here all night waiting for Jane." John said, taking a swig from his cup.

"Oh, okay, except that I'm not." Ben said, genuinely disliking the idea of spending the night at some weird guy's probably weirder house.

"Benjamin," John said sternly. "I'm not going to have you sleeping in some waiting room chair all night. Eddie's a good guy who's offered to do us a favor. He'll be able to take you to school tomorrow too."

"What!?" Ben said, giving the man an incredulous look. "You seriously expect me to go to school after all this? Everybody there knows I was friends with Dominic. Doesn't that violate some sort of agent code?!"

"No and keep your voice down," John said. "It's better that you go to school to keep any suspicion that you were involved in the shooting at bay. Cops are probably going to want to talk with Dominic's friends tomorrow and you need to be there so they don't come knocking at our door directly. Jane's bullet wound isn't going to be cover-up of the century so we need them to talk to you and you only. So, you're _going_ with Eddie."

John left no room for argument with one Look to Ben but the young man persisted.

"I want to see Jane though. I want to make sure she's all right." True, it was another ploy to stay but it was also the heaviest thing on Ben's mind at that moment.

John had noted Ben's previous guilt-stricken expressions earlier and now fully-realized the cause of them.

"Benjamin, if you're blaming yourself for Jane's accident, I want you to stop. Because that's all it was, an accident. Nothing you could've done or did do would've changed what happened."

Ben looked away. He hated how these special-trained operatives could just read your face at the drop of the hat. But he wasn't sure if it was the agent or the father inside John that made him come up with such a heartfelt speech… Which Ben was full-intent on ignoring.

"Please, John, just let me stay."

XxxxXXXxxxX

"Yeah, so I got some of your things. They're in the trunk of my car." Eddie said, standing in front of John and Ben who were seated in the waiting room of the hospital.

"You touched my stuff?" Ben asked, giving the man a peeved look while placing the magazine he had been reading on the side table.

"Benjamin…" John said warningly, not looking up from his own reading material.

Ben sighed, biting back a colorful retaliation before getting up and stalking towards the exit of the hospital.

John and Eddie's eyes followed Ben until he walked out the sliding doors and slumped onto a bench outside. It was close to night time now so the young man squinted in the steadily setting sun, wondering if the man he was being forced to temporarily reside with had bothered to pack his sunglasses.

"Kid's certainly grumpier than I last remembered him." Eddie pointed out, turning to John.

"Yeah, he's upset about leaving Jane to go with you." John said, staring at the depressed young man seated outside.

"Wow, I'd no clue Jane was motherly enough to earn child-like attachment." Eddie said, looking thoughtful.

John exhaled, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, I don't think that's exactly it. Benjamin's just feeling guilty about the whole shooting incident. Nothing I say seems to convince him otherwise though." John added with a hint of exasperation.

"Why would he feel like that?" Eddie asked. They were both giving Ben some time to cool off outside.

"I don't know. That sort of thing happens all the time. Agents always need some surgery here and there. Ben didn't seem to buy it though. He's…He's complicated." John stated.

"I'll make sure to look for a vegetable for you to adopt next time. There's nothing going on in their heads." Eddie said. He patted John on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Johnny, I'll take care of him."

"Just make sure he gets some rest, oh and, give him some aspirin before bed. He's got a headache from the gas."

"Aspirin got it." Eddie nodded and went to leave before John stopped him to give him a few more instructions. "John, please, he's not going to die if you let me take care of him for one night. Just stop worrying; I can take care of it."

"Okay, all right." John nodded. He hadn't realized he was being so overbearing. He sat back in his seat and stared out the glass doors once again. It was getting dark now but John was positive Ben wasn't there anymore. He got up, making Eddie look at him oddly.

"What?" Eddie asked, tracing John's troubled gaze.

John started walking swiftly out the door, Eddie following suite. Once they arrived outside in the warm night air and discovered Ben had truly gone missing, that's when John stared to become aggravated.

"I can't take my eye off him for one second." John grounded out.

"Okay, he couldn't have gotten far. Let's just split up and we should find him." Eddie said, attempting to calm the situation.

"Right," John said, pointing at Eddie. "Call me if you find him and then meet me back here."

John headed on foot down the sidewalk while Eddie took the opposite direction. He hoped, for Ben's sake, that his temper would subsist by the time he found Ben or things would get ugly.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben jaywalked across the street into the parking lot of a grocery store. He wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to run away because there were so many things frustrating him at that moment; he'd be hard pressed to pick just one. He didn't want to face everybody at school tomorrow, he didn't want to go stay at that creep's house, and he definitely didn't want to stick around to only further ruin John and Jane's life. He voted everybody was a lot better off if he would simply walk away now.

Ben silently wished he had taken the time to steal Eddie's keys so his getaway would be faster but instead walked the stretch of sidewalk in hopes of finding a bus stop.

It was now dark outside, leaving Ben with only the dim streetlamps to guide his path. A few cars zoomed past but the area wasn't big enough to hold any form of major traffic.

A bus stop proved to be tougher to find than Ben thought, he took a short cut through a neighborhood, turned a few corners, and ended up getting lost at a dead outlet. He soon found that the more he turned, the more his throat started to tighten in irritation. He was only getting himself more lost! Couldn't he do anything right?!

He plopped down on the sidewalk of a nearby house and leaned on their wood paneled fence, banging his head against it roughly.

XxxxXXXxxxX

John was just about to enter the parking garage when something hit him. The tracking device. His hand immediately went to his cell phone which held the menu to the tracking system. _Please don't be smart enough to actually throw it in the trash_John prayed aloud as he accessed the map. A yellow light dot indicated Ben wasn't far from him, as John expected. He also noted that the dot was not moving, just sitting there, kind of like- _it was thrown away._John thought crossly, staring at the immobile spot.

Against his better judgment, John decided to trace the location. He sprinted across the street and down a sidewalk before twisting through a number of corners in a local neighborhood. His red dot was now mere centimeters away from the yellow one and John looked up at his surroundings to see if it was the same in real life.

A dark heap leaned up against one of the resident's wooden fences. John sighed, more to release any of his pent up anger than to exclaim his relief. He approached the curly-haired boy who was looking down forlornly.

"Hey," John said, resisting the urge to do any sort of physical harm on the young man that regularly put him on this new stage of stress.

Ben looked up at him with a frown before looking down again.

"How'd you find me?"

John placed his hand in his pocket and pressed a button on his cell phone. Ben suddenly felt an odd vibrating in his pocket and pulled out the quarter he remembered Jane giving him earlier.

"Hm, and here I thought she was just being generous." Ben said, rubbing the quarter until it stopped quivering.

"Benjamin, why did you leave?" John asked, deciding to get straight to the point. "And don't try to tell me it was because you had to leave with Eddie because I've forced you to do worse."

Benjamin rubbed his eye, recounting a few of said "worse" things in the process. A certain trip with Jane to the nail salon protruding largely.

"I don't know." Ben mumbled. "I guess I just got tired of seeing you and Jane having to cover up all my mistakes."

"Ben-" John began.

"No, Don't try to deny it either." Ben said, looking at John with a pleading look. "You guys, you risk your lives every day, you're constantly watching your back, and now you have me to burden you. I'm sorry but I don't want to be that. I'm through being another infuriating load that only drags people down."

Ben found himself breathing hard from all the pent up emotion. All this time of just being the sarcastic onlooker, not saying what he really felt, that sort of thing really ate at him from the inside out and it was almost relieving to finally get it out of his system.

John looked a little stunned. He found his assumption that this whole stunt was wrought solely out of guilt to be pretty far off the mark.

"Just let me go, John." Ben said, not having the courage to look in John's eyes anymore. "I'm not helping the situation any so just… Let me go."

"No." John said.

"Um, excuse me, no?" Ben asked. "It wasn't really a question, and if it were, yeah, would've been rhetorical."

"I'm not leaving you, Benjamin. Jane's not either."

"Hm, I think we should let her decide that, when she gets out of surgery! The surgery that she wouldn't have needed if I hadn't been involved in your big mission." Ben said. "Trust me, John. You don't need me. You don't _want_ me."

John exhaled deeply before sitting next to the dejected younger man.

"You're wrong." John said quietly. "Despite what you think, Jane and I need you, not just as a cover-up either, you really… Balance us out. She and I would probably be on two different hemispheres if you hadn't come along. I don't know. There's something about having a kid that makes you think, 'What would I do without you?'"

"Get more peace and quiet?"

John smiled and ruffled Ben's hair affectionately.

"I'll get that when I'm dead. For now, I just want you to feel apart of our family…. All right?"

Ben looked at him and smiled tiredly.

"All right."

"Okay then," John said resolutely. His eyes were suddenly blinded by a quivering white light. It moved from his sight quickly, leaving him blinking, trying to focus on its possessor. A middle-aged white woman with tousled red hair and a grim frown stared at them.

"Why are you sitting on my property? I heard banging." She clipped out, eye reflecting hostility.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," John said casually, with a devastatingly charming grin. "My son just sprained his ankle while we were walking. I'm going to just take him to the hospital to get it checked out. Won't happen again."

The woman's frown faltered as her eyes turned to that of concern.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, walking closer, hostility forgotten along with the banging ruckus. "I have kids of my own; they get hurt all the time. Do you want me to take a look at it? I can get some ice from inside."

"I don't want to trouble you. I think Benjamin's going to be all right anyway." He said, gesturing to Ben on the floor who, having caught on with the act, pretended to be in pain. "A quick check up at the hospital and he should be fine. Thanks."

"No problem." She said sweetly, smiling a slightly flirtatious smile at the handsome man. She walked back into her house, glancing back at the two occasionally.

"Where were we?"

"Apparently, you were about to carry me back to the hospital?"

"Ha, ha, nice try." John said, offering his hand to help the totally uninjured Ben off the sidewalk. "Seriously though, Benjamin, you're as much a part of this family as anybody. I want you to know that."

Ben looked up in John's eyes earnestly. They held no jest or reason to distrust and Ben had to admit, it was refreshing to be assured like that.

He nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, really."

"Anytime." They started walking. "Since you're officially in the family now, I think my first order of business as father is to ground you for this stunt you pulled."

"I'm sorry." Ben said without his usual sarcasm. "I was just-"

"It's fine. Let's just let the time you'll have doing nothing but your homework and chores let you think it through."

"Woo hoo." Ben said with a half-hearted twirl of his finger. "Does this mean I still have to go to school tomorrow and sleep at Eddie's house?"

John thought for a moment while Ben waited on bated-breath.

"No," he said, allowing Ben to release a sigh of relief. "I think it'd be nice if Jane woke up to your invigorating sense of humor. I'll deal with the police."

Although Ben had a feeling the next few weeks were going to be as boring as anything, he couldn't help but grin dumbly. This must be what a second chance feels like.

XxxxXXXxxxX

A/N: Updates don't come as fast when I don't feel appreciated. I know that sounds terribly conceited, but reviews are the best kind of ego-stroker and spur to update! Please review, I love them so much!

Have nice days,

Sarah


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Jello, and welcome to the eighth chapter! It's been a little while and I, once again, apologize for my tardiness. But, I do have good news, this story now holds the record of most chapters out of all my stories! .:claps:. .:notices she is the only one:. Yeah, geeky award, I know. Just read on and ignore the dorky writer behind the curtain.

_This chapter is dedicated to "Save Changes to Normal." Thanks for the continuous support!_

Disclaimer: I'll give all the characters and such back to 20th Century Fox the moment I'm done with it! Promise.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben crept into the room, finding it to be incomprehensibly quiet, and a high contrast to the bustle outside the door.

"Hospitals never sleep." John had told him earlier that day. Once they had arrived back at said hospital, Ben and John settled themselves into the tacky cushioned seats of the waiting room, ready for a long night of waiting.

Ben's first instinct was to get a few moments of sleep since he wasn't sure how long it would be until Jane could be visited. He slouched down into the chair, digging his heels into the soda-stained, thin carpet, and leaned his head back against the wall, not giving much thought to whatever might be on the wall.

He couldn't seem to shut his eyes though. Well, he managed to but he'd have to open them three minutes later to the sound of some one wailing alongside a stampede of paramedics as they rolled a gurney though the automated doors, past the waiting room, and through another set of swinging doors.

After three attempts in thirty minutes, Ben gave up and sat upright in his chair.

"If hospitals are meant to heal people, why am I in so much pain?" Ben asked, referring to his would-be naptime ticking away unnecessarily.

"Because you're a drama-queen," John answered, eyes trailing along the article before him. He was fortunate enough to find the one good magazine in the waiting room that didn't entirely involve finding the "'shuei" of your living room. "Maybe you wouldn't be in so much pain if you'd gone with Eddie."

"You don't know that," John gave him a Look. "Okay, fine, maybe if I'd gone with the creep, I'd get a decent night's rest, maybe even a meal. But what's that compared to spending some quality time with my new old man?"

"Is that my name now?" John looked up with a smirk. "Sounds a bit oxymoronic. And I heavily stress the _moronic_ part."

"Oh, ouch, my sides are splitting," Ben said sarcastically. "I'm curious though, when do the bonding moments start?"

"Start when you sit down and shut up." John said, already back to his article.

"You're a natural at this parenting thing. I'm serious. The word will have another emotionally-scarred adult to torture before they know it." Ben said, sitting back.

Thirty seconds passed dully and already Ben felt like a big chunk of his sanity had fallen off into an unknown abyss, never to return.

"Can I see your wallet?" Ben asked, looking at John.

"Are you still talking?" the man inquired exasperatedly.

"I don't remember having my throat slit so yes. Can I see your wallet?"

John sighed, wondering how this boy became so weird. _Maybe if Jane and I had gotten to him earlier he would be okay…_

"Why do you want to see my wallet?" John articulated, trying to seem unfazed by Ben's odd request.

"I don't know. People usually have amusing stuff in there. ID photos taken in their handle-bar-mustached phase, phone numbers written on the backs of landscaping cards. Oh, hey, do you keep those Bazooka gum wrappers with the comics on them?"

John looked up from his magazine. He didn't off any particular "look" to the boy beside him, just wanted to make sure Ben saw the face of a man's and not that of an eccentric scientist who chewed gum to calm his nerves at night.

"Okay," Ben said, feeling the whole gist of the wordless expression. "A simple 'no' always suffices… But c'mon, John, _please_ let me see your wallet. I'm dying here. Plus, you can see mine." Ben tempted, pulling out his trusty Batman wallet and waving it in front of John's face.

John sighed again and scooted up to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. He tossed it in Ben's lap who smiled in glee. He looked at John.

"Do you still wanna see-"

"No," John deadpanned, going, once again, back to his magazine.

Ben greedily snatched up the black, leather wallet, opening it excitedly. A quick rifle through its contents though and Ben was left feeling disappointed.

"This is the most unamusing wallet I've ever had the displeasure to entertain myself with. And that's saying something, my friend, oh yeah, believe it." Ben nodded. "You've got a regular-looking driver's license photo. How does that happen? _Nobody_, not even those over-paid celebrities, get good photos. And, _one_ picture? Of Jane? I have fifty pictures in mine. One of my hamster, my computer, and a million other strange expressions of yours truly."

"I like to have room." John said.

"For what? If not for pictures, what more is there to put in the space of wallets."

"Maybe money?" John offered realistically.

Ben opened his mouth to counter but sat back mumbling a quiet. "Good point."

"Since you have my wallet, why don't you take it over to the vending machines and get me a Baby Ruth."

"Not exactly diet or even meal worthy food there, John." Ben said, getting up from his chair. "Sure you want to ruin all your muscular progress?"

"Ben."

"Okay, just advising." Ben said innocently, walking off.

Hospitals were weird in the way that you could be walking down one hall, turn a corner, try to go back, and then swear that hall vanished on your short trek away from it. Ben swore to lay a trail of jellybeans to find his way back but that would require finding the vending machine first, which proved to be harder than rocket science at this point.

Ben was about to turn a corner down another long hall but halted when he overheard Jane's name in a doctor's conversation. He cautiously stepped back to listen.

"Tell her family that she's going to be fine." the deep voice of a male instructed. "We'll have to keep her overnight to make sure she stays stable though. Thank you, nurse."

The man dressed in green scrubs walked off in Ben's direction and the young man hurriedly made like he was reading the poster on the wall.

_Why yes, I care deeply about my heart rate zone, _he resisted saying as he glanced behind him to ensure both doctor and nurse were out of sight.

The coast was clear so Ben made his way to Jane's room, slowly opening the heavy, light green door. The young man suddenly found himself rooted to the white linoleum of the hospital room. Light poured in from the hall through the propped door and onto the bed Jane rested in.

Ben studied her lifeless expressions and heavily bandages shoulder, his heart beating in his ears as if to tattoo "All—Your---Fault." onto his chest. Ben's eyes were burning as he stepped closer (From fatigue or sorrow though Ben couldn't tell.).

The door shut gently as he arrived at Jane's bedside. Some light still filtered in from the illuminated bathroom but other than that the stale hospital room lacked any sort of warmth. Jane was picture perfect for the cold, emotionless feeling as she lay in the bed, looking dead to the world. Staring down at her, Ben could feel his stomach clench from the sight of her ghostly pale face dramatically framed by the dark curls she'd done earlier that day for the church. Ben could barely keep from sobbing at the deathly spectacle.

"I'm… Sorry, Jane." He whispered out of pure obligation, voice cracking on the second word. "It was-It was-"

The boy stopped suddenly and turned around, eyes wide. He could faintly recognize the voice of John on the other side of the wall and it immediately reminded him: He wasn't supposed to be in here!

Thinking quickly, the young man scurried over to the coat closet. His long legs protested angrily as they were tangled into the cramped space, but Ben managed to shut the door just as the nurse led John in.

The nurse flicked on the light switch and John saw for the first time the terrible picture of his unconscious wife. His world felt like it was shattering at the very sight.

"Um…" the nurse said, backing towards the door. " I'm just going to find your son. He's probably lost somewhere…" Post-surgery moments were always the most awkward. "She's going to be all right." The nurse tried fruitlessly; it was obvious by John's pensive expression that he wasn't in the listening mood.

The woman opened her mouth to say something else, closed it, frowned, and walked out to find the man's "curly black-haired" son.

Ben felt a little guilty about having the nurse find him but a lot of pain from being stuffed in the small closet so precariously. His back was hurting from the weird curve it was in, and his breathing short-winded from fear of being caught and from holding back tears. Today was awful.

Ben turned a little (ow.) when he heard something though: "I'm sorry, Jane." The apology- It was so much like his own, Ben wasn't sure it had even been said. That's when he heard sheets rustling though.

"Hiya, stranger." Came a bleary reply. It was Jane. Ben could feel his stomach do a little flip-flop at knowing for sure she was alive. He could honestly say he'd never been happier to hear her voice.

But, wait, so, she only woke up to _John's_ apology? How unfair!

John picked up her hand and laced his through her elegant fingers, kissing it softly.

"Hey, sweetheart," He said, kissing her hand. "How you feeling?"

"Guh, don't ask me that this early." Jane said, acting as if she was being awoken from the deepest of sleeps.

"Is your shoulder feeling all right?" John persisted to ask.

"Honestly, sweetie, there isn't any feeling going on... _Anywhere_," Jane emphasized, hoping to get the message through her husband's thick-skull. She turned a bit underneath the crisp sheets. "Where's Benjamin?"

"Probably asleep in some hall somewhere; the nurse went-"

As if on cue, a container of hangers on the top shelf of the closet decided to fall at that very moment, littering the young man underneath it painfully. Ben grasped at his head, trying to resist cursing loudly.

"Did you hear that?" Jane asked, a little unsure of herself in her drug-induced state.

"Yeah," John said, readying himself to meet/beat the psycho hiding out in his wife's hospital room. He swung the door open and looked down at the sight of a very sheepish-looking Benjamin.

"Hey, guys," Ben said. "I know this looks weird, but it's really… Really normal."

John just stared at the crumpled floor with a slightly amused expression. How the kid always managed to be doing something and then end up doing something entirely different would never cease to amaze him.

"Did you get my Babe Ruth?" John asked candidly.

"No, I, uh," Ben cleared his throat. "I got lost."

XxxxXXXxxxX

John and Jane laid on the bed, staring up at the hospital's TV rolling the ending credits to "Pretty Woman." Ben's slumbering head now rested on the end of the bed at their feet as he sat in one of the hard-backed chairs beside it.

The sleeping young man turned his head on the bed, subconsciously trying to burrow deeper into the sheets. His mouth fell open in the process.

"Aww, he looks adorable like that." Jane commented in a hushed tone. She leaned her head into John's neck. The two adults watched Ben snooze peacefully, a bit of drool pooling underneath his mouth.

"You know what else looks adorable…" John hinted, turning to quirk a seductive eyebrow at his wife. She smirked.

"Oh yeah, and what would that be, Mr. Smith?" Jane said, leaning in to kiss her husband.

Two seconds into the make out session, they heard Ben groan.

"Please, don't ruin my little slice of heaven with your slobber." Ben whined, eyes still closed but evidently hearing the telltale noises. "I need my beauty sleep."

The two broke apart grudgingly, and Jane playfully kicked his head.

"Little party-pooper." John mumbled.

Ben lifted his head to glare at Jane grumpily.

"Fine, turn the 'slice' into a hell cupcake; see if I care!" Ben told them irately, crossing his arms and pouting childishly.

"Okaay, looks like it's Benny's bedtime," John said, getting up reluctantly from his wife's side.

"Okay, one: Call me 'Benny' ever again and you will suffer the wrath of... Of serious video game whumpage. And two: My bedtime was four hours ago. Right now, I'm ready to commit suicide." Ben said sarcastically.

"You commit suicide and I'll kill you," John said with a pointed look to the younger man.

"Yeah, yeah, just drive me home." Ben said, already up and trudging toward the door.

John rolled his eyes at the impossible boy and turned to his wife.

"I guess we can finish this tomorrow." He said, kissing Jane again.

"Or we can let Ben sleep on the floor of the hospital room." Jane said in between lip-locks.

Ben stamped his foot on the tile. "Hello! I can hear your evil plotting from here!"

John gave his wife one last forceful kiss before breaking apart and looking deeply into her gorgeous eyes.

"I love you."

"Love you, too." Jane replied softly. "See you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early." John answered a little strained as he stretched his back. "Soon as you can get out, I'll come get you."

"Shouldn't be too long…" Jane said, fiddling with the remote on the hospital bed. "Make sure Ben takes some painkillers when you get home."

John nodded.

"I already had that talk with Eddie earlier. Believe me; I'll remember."

"Wait. Eddie was here?" Jane asked, head tilted a little.

"-Hey, John, do you remember that thing about us, oh… What was it? Oh yeah, _leaving_!" Ben said impatiently from the door.

"It's a long story," John replied, seemingly ignoring the whiny retorts behind him. "…Ben's grounded though."

This made Jane laugh a little as she settled her head into the pillow and closed her eyes.

"Make sure he stays out of trouble then," she mumbled, drifting away from the world of the conscious.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," John whispered, kissing the top of her head affectionately. The man turned around to see Ben rolling his eyes at the "lovey-dovey" gestures. He, in turn, slapped him on the back of the head.

"Oow, what is with you guys and trying to cause as much injury as possible to my head?" Ben said, rubbing his sore head.

John felt a little remorseful at the abusive act but his reply didn't reflect such:

"Eh, we'll get you some painkillers." He said with a simple shrug.

Ben could only scowl as his mouth was too tired to attempt anything else.

XxxxXXXxxxX

A/N: Ah, so short! I'm sorry. I want to write more, but I'm pressed for time. I just want to get something out there before I take any longer! Next chapter should be up soon; I want ideas though. My writer's block is building steadily and I just need a new flow of thoughts. Any takers? Any takers?

Have nice days,

Sarah


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Okay, sorry for the lengthy wait. I tried to write this sooner but A LOT of things have been preventing me.

Thank you so much for the reviews, people. I want to personally thank **chozina**, **Jade St. James**, and **save changes to normal** for their continuous support. Don't worry, new reviewers like **butterfly affect **and **Lylana **played a big part in the update too. I'm so grateful for your guys' wonderful comments. They mean a lot to me. Thanks a million!

**Disclaimer:** 16, obsessed with the film, and writing fanfiction about it- Yep, definitely not the owner.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben sighed tiredly, plopping his weighty backpack onto the regal couch as he entered the formal living room. Eddie walked in after him, removing his sunglasses and making a beeline to the fridge in the kitchen. It had been one day after Jane's release from the hospital and the two-ton jar of drugs she'd taken post-surgery had almost worn off, but, unfortunately, it hadn't worn off enough to _drive_ anywhere, forcing Ben to ride to and from school with the guy currently stuffing himself full with leftover Thai.

"So, who was that girl that you were staring at?" Eddie said, quirking a knowing eyebrow. He was seated in one of the sleek black barstools lining the island counter. Three opened boxes of Thai were messily strewn in front of him already, one of which he was currently picking out of with a fork.

Ben just gave a miserable look to the man that anybody (except Eddie) would instantly read as: "Why on God's green earth am I stuck having _you_ ask me about my personal life?" But instead of voicing the sullen thoughts, Ben collapsed into one of the couches.

"She's just a girl I like." He grimaced at how high school (no pun intended) that sounded. He was 21 for goodness' sake. Was it even legal for him to be crushing on the 17 year old?

"Huh," Eddie replied simply. Ben resisted the urge to stick out his tongue in disgust as he heard the tell-tale sounds of slurping from Eddie's end. It was brutally apparent he'd found the pad Thai. "Yeah, she was pretty hot."

Ben burrowed his head deep into one of the couch's pillows, turning red. It smelt like Febreeze and Ben refrained from holding the scent in his nose until he was suffocated to death. He let go.

"Yeah, she's 'pretty hot,'" Ben agreed sarcastically. Kate was gorgeous. Stunning was the word Ben had chosen though.

"Why don't you ask her to go out with you?" Eddie asked, popping a piece of cold chicken into his mouth.

"She's already dating Chad Freemont, that's why." Ben said sordidly. He didn't like Chad. He was a spoil-brat rich kid. He had no jock title, no smarts, nothing- Except for loads of cash. The dude could charm too, Ben would give Chad that. The man's freakish good looks easily wrapped anyone around his finger. The school was under his beckon call, so it was only expected the hottest girl would be _his_ arm candy.

"That'd never stop me." Eddie said with a reminiscing smile. Ben rolled his eyes and suddenly spotted John coming down the stairs, wearing a weary look. He had taken time off work since bedridden, drug-filled Jane was abnormally clingy and constantly wanted John near her. Ben felt sorry for the guy, but that sympathy quickly turned into terror as John spotted Ben on the couch.

"Good, you're home." The young man suppressed a groan. That comment only meant one thing: "Jane errands." And boy, were there **a lot** of them. Jane always needed _something_. Mostly things that Ben would tirelessly labor to get only to be forgotten after one minute on Jane's bedside. It didn't matter if Jane asked for a jar of dog food or a ladybug-shaped umbrella. Whatever drug-induced request, John made him go down to the store and pick it up. "Jane needs a-"

"Let me guess, a vat of boiling oil or… Cocaine, perhaps?" Eddie mocked. He knew of Jane's odd needs and made it a point not to be there for the assigning.

"Ha, ha," John fake-laughed. God, John thought scowling, he got that from Benjamin. Sarcastic little… "Her drugs are wearing off so there will be no more demands for pomegranate-flavored pudding."

Ben sighed in relief. That pudding took _forever_ to make, and Jane ended throwing it against the wall anyway.

"But speaking of drugs, I need you, Eddie, to pick up her prescription. It's nothing strong-Just some weak antibiotics." John added hastily, turning to the hostile-faced Ben. The young man's blood pressure lowered significantly.

"Oh, sorry, Johnny. No can do. I've got to pick up Ma from the tennis club. But good luck with, Jane. Glad she's feeling better. Tell her I said hi." Eddie hurriedly walked towards the door with the box of Thai and left with one last farewell.

The door shut with a snap and John sighed audibly.

"Sometimes I think he only hangs around for the food." John mumbled. "Fine, I guess I'll do-"

"John! Where are you?" Jane cried from upstairs.

Ben turned to look at the ceiling where her room was and then to John whose eyes were closed and jaw was clenched.

"She was _asleep_." He grounded out frustrated. "I need to get your prescription, sweetheart." He called back.

"Noo, John, come up here." Jane whined.

John made a gesture as if to signal wringing her neck and turned to Ben.

"Looks like you're getting the prescription then."

Ben's eyebrows knitted together.

"But I just got home. I'm tired." It came out whiny and childish, but it was true. Surprisingly, John only saw it as childish and whiny.

"Benjamin," John began in a scarily calm voice and a level look to the younger man. "Do you know what I've had to deal with all day? Jane. That's what. Now, I can be forced to deal with Jane's whining. She's sick. I get it. But _you_ are not sick. You can, in fact, be injured. Something I'm very willing to do if you don't get the money out of my wallet and fill. Jane's. Prescription."

Ben had instinctively backed way to the farthest part of the couch.

"Where's your wallet?" Ben peeped.

John smirked; that was one of the first times threatening Ben had actually worked. He tried not to sound too triumphant as he said, "Coffee table."

"Can I take the car?" Ben asked hopefully. He had asked that a total of three times since living with John and Jane and the answer had always been the same from both:

"No." John responded simply, climbing up the stairs.

"Please, John, I don't want to walk all the way to the store. I'm so tired." Ben whined again, following the man up the stairs.

"From doing what?" John asked, turning. "Playing chess?"

"Ouch. Low blow. I just had a hard day at school. C'mon, you gotta let me take the car someday."

"Well, it's not someday, it's Tuesday, and you have to walk," John said. The conversation was over as John walked into Jane's room cautiously.

The young man threw his hands up in frustration. Why wouldn't John let him take the car? The trip would take twenty minutes less than if he walked there! He was twenty-one; he knew how to drive! Ben fell against the nearest wall and banged his head on it a couple times.

"So. Tired." He stopped mid-bang when the clever idea of simply taking the keys and driving off invaded his mind. _John wouldn'__t even __ do it._The sinful conscience told him. _No, he'll throttle you if you do!__Do you want to go back to the hospital? __Just walk! _The cowardly conscience squeaked.

In the end, Ben sighed heavily for the second time that day and grudgingly made his way down the stairs with doing the "good act" in his mind. John's wallet was on the coffee table and the keys sat looking tempting a few inches away from it. Ben kept his eyes trailed on the set of keys as he picked up the wallet and absent-mindedly took out some money.

Something familiar caught his eye though as he grabbed a twenty. Ben flipped over one of the gorgeous pictures of Jane at some fancy restaurant and revealed a picture Jane had taken of him with his chess trophy. Ben's mouth fell open a little. What the…? Ben stared at curiously. The sight of _Ben's_ picture inside _John's_ wallet was definitely throwing him for a loop. Had John put this in here on purpose? It was scary to think that John had been listening to him at that moment in the waiting room. Most of the time, Ben talked just to talk. He wasn't used to people caring about what he had to say. The self-proclaimed cheesy picture was proof that John did though.

Ben looked up from the picture to get his head on straighter. _It's just a picture._ He told himself. …Still, something about it was beautifully touching. It meant more than just "Check it out. This kid I know won a chess trophy." Ben couldn't quite put his finger on it, but knowing John had done this warmhearted deed made walking the thirty minutes to the Walgreens a whole lot easier…

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben walked through the front door and up the stairs. He slowed his pace when he arrived at John and Jane's door and knocked.

"Come in," he heard John call.

Ben opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Jane and John reading books in bed. John was fully clothed but Jane still wore the nightgown from the morning. She looked healthier and her arm was wrapped comfortably in the bandage provided by the hospital.

The two looked up from their reading and Ben handed Jane the bag of medicine.

"I'm so tired of medicine." She said, staring at the orange pill bottle she unwrapped from the paper bag.

"Me too," John and Ben said simultaneously. They, of course, were referring to Jane's druggie phase but the woman popping another pill didn't read into the comment.

Ben scratched his unruly mop of hair, looking around the lavishly furnished room he'd largely ignored compared to the rest of the house. One thing that especially attracted his attention was the window seat that overlooked their large backyard along with the rest of the neighborhood. The sun streamed lightly through the white curtains making it look inviting to any and all.

Ben stepped closer to into the midday sunlight that drifted through its window, stuffing his hands into his hoodie's pockets. That's when he felt the slip of paper. The moment he pulled out the green slip he instantly recognized it as the memorandum Ms. Briggs handed out for the Open House Night. Ben gulped. Attendance was usually required so how were they going to get out of this one?

Ben unfolded the paper and cleared his throat, causing John and Jane to look up from their books.

"Uh, do you guys want to look at this?" he asked, walking over to hand the slip to them.

"Did you get in trouble?" John asked, wondering if Ben was actually capable of getting into a fight at school. He looked down at the paper and read the memo in two seconds flat before handing it to Jane who read it equally prompt.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, looking up at her husband.

John saved the page of his book.

"Well, it's tomorrow and I'd already decided to postpone the assassination for two more days." John shrugged but Ben's eyes bugged out at the word. "How about you? Are you feeling up to it?"

"Anything that gets me out of this bed is a welcome," Jane said, stretching a little to relieve her relaxed muscles. "Not only that, it'll give us a chance to strengthen Ben's _questionable_ absence from school yesterday." She said pointedly, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired boy.

"Hey, he said I could," Ben said innocently from the window seat he had finally settled himself into.

John tossed a pillow at Ben's head, missing by an inch.

"Traitor." John accused while Ben only smirked in reply. John's eyes flickered with an urge to tackle the boy.

"Don't start," Jane warned her husband firmly. She was starting to realize these "light banters" between the two always ended with an imminent injury to Ben's face-And sporting a double-shiner to the Open House didn't fall in the category of _normal._"Benjamin, go find something to wear to it. **Yes**, you have to wear a tie." She added rapidly when she saw Ben's mouth forming into the shape of a whine.

The young man kicked at the pillow thrown at him in protest and walked stingily out the door.

A smile tugged at both of the agents' faces as they went back to reading.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben opened the door for Jane leading into the familiar high school classroom hall. John stepped in after her and studied the students and their parents milled to and fro from each room. Voices and corny music drifted throughout, and Ben loosened his tie an inch to better search the place.

"My classroom's this way," Ben said, already walking ahead of John and Jane. The two agents glanced at each other, wondering what the rush was but nonetheless following the young man down the hall and into one of the classrooms.

The room was large with the customary desk facing towards the teacher's chalkboard where a tall black man stood talking to a smiling pair of parents.

"Probably lying to them, no doubt." John whispered to Jane who nodded as they continued to cynically study the three. The satisfied parents finished their discussion shortly after and the Smiths took it as their cue to act interested about their child's classroom habits. They walked up to the teacher, leaving Ben who mumbled something about the bathroom, and introduced themselves. Mr. Boone's face seemed to fall at Ben's name.

"Oh, you're _his_ parents?" the teacher started. John and Jane didn't think this would end well -for Ben that is.

XxxxXXXxxxX

Ben threw the paper towel into the trashcan, not wanting to be around for the big revealing of his sleeping in class. What? He'd already been through high school once; why not catch up on his resting the second time through? Ben fixed his hair a little in the mirror, feeling confident that if he were to run into Kate he'd charm her to be his in two seconds flat.

Ben haughtily walked out the bathroom door to be met with the sight of Kate, his long red-haired and dazzling green-eyed beauty, making out with her boyfriend: _Chad Freemont._Had he been saying his name, Ben would've spat it on the floor and rubbed his Converse in it. He absolutely hated the guy and to see him attacking her mouth like that. Ben felt a quiver of adrenaline pulse throughout his frame at the thought of punching the guy.

"H-Hey, Kate." Ben heard someone say. Only until they broke apart kissing and stared confusedly at him did he realize had said it. Stupid. Stupid.

"Problem, Smith?" Chad said, his big blue eyes flashing with anger at the unwelcome interruption.

"No, I just-Well-Heh, heh…" Kate's deepening lines on her forehead were doing nothing to calm his nerves. Ugh, he was back in high school again, literally!

"C'mon, Kate, let's go to the classroom. My step mom will be out of the bathroom soon and I'm not done with our little session here." The two smiled lovingly to each other, hands intertwined playfully. "Um, take it easy there, Smith." Chad said as an afterthought, nodding towards the still dumbstruck and awkward Ben. The couple walked off, hand-in-hand, and Kate was no still closer to Ben's side than JLo was.

The young man sighed, realizing for the utter billionth time in his life, he'd failed. Backing up into the wall to bang his head against, he hadn't noticed the woman walking past behind him. He collided with her, sending the cell phone she was punching into clattering to the floor. Ben turned around confusedly.

"What the heck?" the two said simultaneously. The chorus caused them to look up at each other, and what Ben saw, he would never forget. The woman was none other than Natalie Dantz- his own _mother_!

"M-m-" Ben couldn't form the word. It was almost foreign on his lips. He'd only used it when Jane and he were out in the supermarket but now the word seemed so odd.

"Ben?!" _She_ certainly didn't have any problems with blurting _his_ name out. Her mouth fell open momentarily, eyes identical to his own widening. "Where have you been? Oh my god."

She wrapped her boy in her arms and Ben got a mouthful of the familiar bush of red hair.

"Hi, Mom," he all but coughed out. His mother was squeezing his thin frame suffocatingly tight. She let go of him, eyes shining as she looked up at him with a small smile on her face.

"I can't believe I'm looking at you. I thought I'd never see you again. When they said you were finally adopted, I was amazed; I-"

"Wait-Wait a second, you _knew_ I was at the center?" This was news to him. His agency had told him they were unable to locate his parents. He knew it was a lie so his involvement in their missions would be kept a secret, but the fact that they actually had gotten in contact with his parents greatly surprised him. "But then, why didn't you- Why didn't you try to get me out of there?"

Ben's eyes searched his mother's. She seemed to be struggling to break it to her son how her life had transformed in the two years he had been gone.

"I have a question for you, first," she countered. Ben looked quizzical and hurt at the notion. "Why didn't you tell me you were part of some secret agency?" she said the last part just above a whisper, forcing Ben to lean forward to hear.

Crap. He was supposed to be under cover. _That_ plan was obviously down the pooper. But his mom already knew who he was so John and Jane couldn't be too mad, right?

"Ben?" The young man looked up from his reverie, met by his mother's earnest expression.

"You want to know why I didn't tell you?" Ben reiterated. "Because you wouldn't have listened! Or understood, or even cared!"

"What are you talking about? Your father and I would have cared if our only son was going off risking his life in some covert operation."

"How do you expect me to know that though?" Ben almost screamed. He was fuming as the weight of his past life hit him at full force. "You and dad never cared about anything I did. You just left me alone to fend for myself most of the time."

"That's because we didn't understand you, sweetie." She replied, her eyes were in a sympathetic knit. "Half the time we didn't know what you were talking about. You mumble and rant an awful lot."

Ben knew this to be true but only became angrier at the statement.

"You guys didn't even try to get me though. Just like all the times before you left me stranded! When I thought I got Heather pregnant, you guys didn't help me at all. Both of you acted like it was my fault! And you expect me to confide my private life into _that_?" Ben's voice cracked on the last part. He wouldn't allow himself to cry though. He didn't want his mom to know how much she and his dad had affected him so.

"Ben, I'm sorry," his mom said, forcing her pain-filled eyes to look up at her upset son. "I didn't realize that it was that hard for you. If your father were here, I'm sure he'd have something to say to this too but-"

"Hang on, 'if my father were here.' What does that mean? Where's dad, mom?" Ben asked, his breath hitching. "Mom?"

"I'm so sorry, Benny…" she said, eyes tearing up as she looked into her son's worried face. She rubbed at his forearm, hoping to comfort him. "The cancer- it came back last winter. He-He died two weeks later."

Ben's universe was just about shattered. His dad was… _Dead_? This was just too much for him. A tear finally escaped down his cheek and the lump in his throat was getting harder to contain. He felt on the verge of fainting.

"Don't worry though. We can start over, Ben. Hal, Chad, you, me- We can be one happy family now."

Ben struggled to understand her words in question.

"Chad and Hal?" he asked, voice straining to hold in a sob.

"Yeah, honey, Hal Freemont and I got married in March. His son Chad is from a previous marriage but I think you and him would get along. He's the most charming boy I've ever met…. Besides you." She quickly added to her shocked son.

His _mother_ was married to his sworn enemy's _father_? Worse yet, she expected the both of them to be brotherly. Ben nearly vomited. This tornado of news had numbed his entire body. He felt like the world he had forgotten was rebuilding itself in the worst way possible. His dad, dead; mother, remarried; and Chad, his _brother_? His head was spinning.

"This isn't happening." Ben whispered. His mother could only stare confusedly. She thought her son would be thrilled to be back with his real family.

"Hey, buddy, how's it going?" John asked, landing a hand on Ben's shoulder. The young man didn't seem to notice though. His mind was so far deep into his thoughts; it would take an earthquake to shake him out of it. Jane smiled to the woman Ben was apparently talking to, noting something familiar about her.

"Hi, I'm Jane Smith," she said cordially. "You are?"

John studied Ben's flushed expression and connected his charge's tearful gaze to the woman before them. The one good thing about being an agent was your innate ability to remember every face you came across. But the one bad thing about being a man was that sometimes words just fell out of your mouth.

"Natalie Dantz." John said, staring at Ben's long-lost mother. The name seemed to finally draw Ben out of his thoughts and he looked around at the three closest people in his life at this point. All of them seemed to settle their looks of worry, confusion, and expectancy on him. Feeling inundated by the situation, Ben shrugged off John's hand and walked quickly towards the exit. Natalie was hot on his heels though, leaving John and Jane to feel severely out of the loop.

Jane turned to her husband.

"His mother is _here_ of all places?" she exclaimed incredulously.

"I can't believe it. Natalie Dantz."

"You can't believe _her_? I can't believe we have to move again."

XxxxXXXxxxX

Outside in the cooling fall air, Ben took a shaky breath, hoping to calm his emotions. Didn't work. A sob quickly followed and a few more tears fell.

His mother grabbed at his wrist but he tore it away, rounding on her.

"How can you just forget about dad like that and go to marry someone like Hal Freemont?" he cried.

"Don't judge me, Ben. You don't know Hal. He's a nice man!"

"Yeah, a nice man with loads of cash. That's the only reason you would want him."

"Ben, you know that's not it. I'm not like that." Ben searched his mind and found her words to be true. His mom wasn't a gold-digger; she just had really bad taste in stepsons. "I really can't see why you wouldn't want them to be a part of your new family. They're nice people and you could have whatever you want."

Oddly enough, Ben was beginning to wonder why he was getting so worked up over the offer. It was a pretty nice deal. He'd finally be with his mom again and that had always been just a capricious dream in his stay at the Detention Center. So why did his whole body detest the idea?

Suddenly, his eyes softened in recognition as John and Jane exited the school to survey the scene between mother and son. That's when it hit Ben. He knew all along why he wasn't going to do it… A silence hung in the air for a while.

"You like them, don't you?" his mother stated. Her son was staring longingly at the two strangers behind her a long ways off. Ben turned to her, surprised she had noticed. "You have that look to you. The same one you got when your Uncle Dan went off to war. You want to go with them, don't you?"

Ben opened his mouth but closed it again. He didn't know what to say so he hung his head shame-faced and nodded softly.

He didn't want to break his mother's heart, but it was true. John and Jane rescued him when his mom abandoned him. They listened to him more than his parents ever had. Little did the two agents know, but they were turning out to be amazing parents. They had some kinks and quirks to work out but Ben didn't mind that. That's what love was, he supposed.

"Benny, that's fine." His mom laughed through some tears. "I just want what's best for you and being with them obviously is. I want you to be happy, not miserable with me again."

The young man was shocked. He's never thought his mother would ever be this understanding. For once in his life she had finally got what he was trying to tell her. The only think he could think of to do was hug her. He embraced her fiercely and two more tears fell.

"I'm sorry." Ben couldn't help saying.

"Oh, don't be, honey." She said, arms wrapped around him strongly. "I love you. Don't feel guilty about me. I'm in love with Hal and you're in love with them so I'm perfectly happy." They pulled apart. "Promise."

Ben looked in her shining eyes and smiled.

"Thanks, mom."

"Hey, don't be a stranger though." She said, pointing a finger at him and grinning. She placed a hand on his cheek. "I missed you too much. Take car, sweetie. And be good."

She turned to leave but offered John and Jane waiting at a distance a small wave. They returned the gesture, uncertain of what exactly was going on. Ben walked up to them, looking beat from all his crying.

"So, anything happen while we were gone?" Jane questioned.

The young man almost laughed. He stuck out his lips in mock thought and shook his head.

"No, nothing much. What's up with you?"

"We're thinking Portland is looking like a nice place to live." John said. The three were walking towards their car now.

"That so?" Ben replied, catching the drift. "Well, I was getting tired of this place anyways."

"Well, let's just hope we don't run into anymore ghosts while we're there." Jane said.

"And we don't _sleep_ in _class_," John hinted, glancing at a sheepish looking Ben.

"Sometimes high school gets boring." Ben shrugged.

"Which is why we're going to sign you up for some community college. It's a lot more flexible." Jane explained. "Plus John's company's got an office over in Portland."

Ben smiled despite himself. He would never in a million years think he would end up choosing his these people over his own mother. But he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

"It all works out then." John said simply, slinging an arm around Ben's shoulder as they arrived at their car. "Better get to packing."

XxxxXXXxxxX

**A/N:** This might be the last chapter or it may be the third to last. I don't know. I do know that I'm kind of dry in the idea department. Anybody's ideas will be greedily ruminated on and eventually put into the story. I'm not kidding. Two of the ideas from peoples' reviews were put in this chapter. Just… Think about it. Thanks for reading. Please review!

Have VERY nice days,

-Sarah


End file.
